[[alternative]]A Correlation Study of Cognitive-Perceptual Factors of Health and Avoidance of Environmental Tabacco Smoke in Junior High School Students.

[[abstract]]The purpose of this study was to identify and to describe the relationships among factors which influence the avoidance of environmental tobacco smoke(ETS) in junior high school students. Pender's Health Promotion Model(1987) provided the theoretical framework for the study. A descriptive correctional design was used. The predictor variables in this study were modifying factors and cognitive-perceptual factors. The modifying factors included demographic characteristics, biological characteristics, situational factors, and interpersonal influences. The cognitive-perceptual factors included the importance of health, perceived control of health, perceived self-efficacy, and perceived health status. The subjects were sampled by the stratified clustered sampling method from a population of 17,434 junior high school students in Taoyuan City. The data were collected by self-administration with valid enrollment of 750 subjects. The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics, general linear multiple regression and hierarchical multiple regression. The important conclusions were as fallow: 1.According to the results of the ETS Scale study, the subjects took passive behaviors more frequently, such as opening the windows rather than active behaviors, such as asking to stop smoking. 2.There were significant influences between avoidance of ETS and the variables of the importance of health, internal health locus of control, powerful others health locus of control, chance health locus of control, control over exposure to ETS, general self-efficacy, and efficacy to avoid ETS. 3.The modifying factors including the variables of gender, grade of students, parent's educational degree, respiratory allergies, asthma, and physical danger belief affected the behavior of avoidance of ETS indirectly via their impact on cognitive-perceptual. The modifying factors including the variables of smoking status, uncomfortable physical reaction, living with smoker, exposure to ETS, and interpersonal influences affected the behavior of avoidance of ETS both directly and indirectly by their impact on cognitive-perceptual factors. 4.We employed hierarchical multiple regression analysis of avoidance of ETS on cognitive-perceptual factors in a first block and modifying factors in a second block. The cognitive-perceptual factors explained the 26.7% of the variance of avoidance of ETS. With the addition of modifying factors, the total amount of variance explained by all variables increased up to 49.0%. The results of this study provided information of relationships among factors influencing the avoidance of ETS in junior high school students. They could be the references of the health educational programs and further studies concerning ETS.