The aim of this study was to investigate the current level of awareness and use of the Great American Smokeout (GASO) and the extent to which that may vary by lifetime smoking, socioeconomic status, age and gender. We hypothesized and found that the current levels of awareness and use were significantly less than the most recent reports available (over 13 years ago), and that awareness of the GASO was more likely in lifetime smokers, those with more education, and older age groups, but found no significant effect related to gender. The drop in awareness and use of the GASO was more than half and almost five times, respectively, compared to that of most recent previous reports. These findings highlight a critical need for more attention and resources to reinvigorate the GASO as a useful event for smokers. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

This study examined the effects of a smoking prevention program on the acquisition of refusal skills in junior high school students. Sixty-three seventh graders were randomly assigned to a refusal skill training group (N=29) or a no treatment control group (N=34). Students' refusal skill performance was assessed pre and post training. Assessment consisted of a peer trainer offering the student a cigarette while being videotaped. The smoking refusal skill was broken down into 5 component parts: (1) eye contact; (2) upright posture; (3) voice intonation; (4) response to approach; (5) reason for refusal. Results showed significant improvement for both the training and control groups. However, a significant training by pre-post assessment interaction was also found, F (1,61) = 10.37, p < .01, which indicates that students who received training demonstrated more proficiency in refusal performance after training than those who did not. A generalization probe in the natural environment conducted seven weeks after training showed no differences between the two groups.

En el marc del model transteòric de canvi (Prochaska, DiClemente i Norcross, 1992) i del model de l'autocontrol (Rachlin, 1989), s'examinen les característiques de la conducta de fumar així com la percepció de la magnitud i la demora de les conseqüències positives i negatives d'aquest consum, a fi de conèixer la seva relació amb l'etapa de canvi en la cessació tabàquica.Amb aquest objectiu s'entrevista a una mostra representativa de 281 membres (54,8% homes i 45,2% dones; mitjana d'edat = 37,26 anys, DT = 8,77; 48,8% no fumadors, 27,4% fumadors i 23,8% exfumadors) del personal acadèmic i d'administració i serveis de la Universitat de Girona.Els resultats mostren que més de la meitat dels fumadors es troben a l'etapa de Precontemplació (sense intenció ferma d'abandonar el consum de tabac en els propers 6 mesos) i la majoria d'exfumadors se situen a l'etapa de Manteniment (mínim de sis mesos sense fumar).També s'observen diferències en algunes de les variables examinades segons l'etapa de canvi de manera que els fumadors en Contemplació-Preparació (amb intenció ferma d'abandonar el consum de tabac en els propers 6 mesos) presenten un elevat índex de perjudicis percebuts, informen d'haver rebut més consell mèdic i realitzen amb major freqüència inhalacions a cada cigarreta.En canvi, els fumadors en Precontemplació són els qui més responen consumir tabac baix en nicotina mentre que els exfumadors en Acció o Manteniment són els qui més tendeixen a relacionar de manera immediata fumar i les seves conseqüències negatives a curt i mitjà termini, i els qui presenten major puntuació en l'índex de beneficis percebuts. Aquestes dades corroboren la importància de les intervencions clíniques específiques en les diferents etapes de l'abandonament del consum de tabac, suggereixen que les campanyes preventives s'haurien de focalitzar preferentment en les conseqüències negatives immediates de fumar i apunten a la conveniència de tenir en compte la notable valoració positiva dels beneficis de fumar per part dels exfumadors en els programes de prevenció de recaigudes. Així mateix, la constatació del poder explicatiu de la variable demora en la diferenciació dels subjectes en funció de l'etapa de canvi, planteja la conveniència d'incloure aquesta variable en les avaluacions dels pros i contres de fumar a fi de conèixer amb major precisió els seus pesos relatius. / Whitin the frame of the transtheoretical model of change (Prochaska, DiClemente and Norcross, 1992) and the self-control model (Rachlin, 1989) the features of smoking cessation are studied as well as the perception of the magnitude and delay of both positive and negative consequences of this consumption, in order to know its relation with the changing stage when giving up smoking.To reach this goal a representative sample of 281 people are interviewed (54,8% men and 45,2% women; average age: 37,26 years old, SD: 8,77; 48,8% non-smokers, 27,4% smokers and 23,8 ex-smokers) of the academic and administrative staff at the University of Girona.The results show that more than a half of smokers are at the Precontemplation stage (without a strong intention of giving up smoking within the next six months) and most of ex-smokers are at the Maintaining stage (six months minimum without smoking).Some differences are also observed in some of the examined variables according to the changing stage, in a way that smokers who are at the Contemplation-Preparation stage (with a strong intention of giving up smoking within the next six months) show a high index of perceived cons of smoking and they also inform they have been given more medical advice. On the other hand, ex-smokers who are in the Action stage or Maintaining stage are those who tend closely relate smoking and its inmediate and delayed consequences, also those who show the highest scoring on the perceived benefit index. This data corroborates the importance of specific clinical actions in the different stages of giving up smoking process, it also suggest that preventive campaigns should focus preferably on the inmediate negative consequences of smoking and write down the convenience of taking into account the notable positive valuation of the benefits of giving up smoking on behalf of the exsmokers in the preventive relapse programs.Also this data evidence the convenience of including the delay parameter in the pros and cons of smoking evaluation with the aim of knowing with more precision their relative weights.