Adolescents' Perceptions About Smokers in Karnataka, India
Author Information
Author(s): Bhojani Upendra M, Elias Maya A, N Devadasan
Primary Institution: Institute of Public Health, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Hypothesis
What are adolescents' perceptions about smokers in Indian society?
Conclusion
Adolescents have predominantly negative stereotypes of smokers, especially female smokers.
Supporting Evidence
- 84.6% of respondents reported negative perceptions about smokers.
- Female students showed significantly higher disapproval rates for smoking compared to male students.
- 15.1% of students had used tobacco at least once in their life.
Takeaway
Most kids in this study think smoking is bad, especially for girls. They believe smokers are often under stress or have bad character.
Methodology
A cross-sectional study using a stratified random sampling method with a self-administered questionnaire.
Potential Biases
Self-reported data may introduce bias.
Limitations
Findings may not be generalizable to all adolescents in India due to the metropolitan nature of Bengaluru and reliance on self-reported data.
Participant Demographics
Mean age of participants was 16.9 years, with 57.8% male students.
Statistical Information
P-Value
<0.05
Confidence Interval
(3.3, 8.2)
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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