The Relationship of Peer Group and Perception with the Intention of Smoking in Young Men

Abstract

The prevalence of smoking among adolescents increases annually. Smoking behavior in males is a behavior that is considered normal by the people of Indonesia, and even smoking behavior in males is regarded as a symbol of virility. Smoking intentions that occur in adolescents are caused by factors from inside and outside the individual. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relations of peer groups and perceptions with the intention of smoking in male students. This research used a correlational design with a cross-sectional approach. Respondents in this research were male students of class VII and VIII in junior high school. The population in this research was 535 male junior high school students, taken using the cluster random sampling technique, and obtained a total sample of 186 junior high school students. Independent variables of this research were peer groups and perception. The dependent variable was the intention to smoke. Data was collected using questionnaires and analyzed by Spearman’s Rho with a significance level of a = 0.05. The results showed a significant relationship between peer groups (p = 0.000) and perceptions (p = 0.000) of smoking in adolescents. The more negative peer group and perception, it would increase smoking intentions. Researchers expected to conduct further research among young women. Also, it is necessary to modify the questionnaire, which can cover all components but with smaller numbers of questionnaires and provided the nursing intervention to adolescents in a better direction.