The Effect of Academic Stress and School Burnout Levels on Perceptions of Adolescents Related to Tobacco Products

Abstract

Objective: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of academic stress and school burnout levels on perceptions of secondary school students related to tobacco products. Method: The sample of study was composed of 1285 adolescents aged 10–16 who were in the fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth graders of two secondary schools in İzmir. The data of the study were collected using a Demographic Data Collection Form, the School Burnout Inventory, the Educational Stress Scale and the Child Decisional Balance Scale. Numbers and percentages, Pearson correlation analysis, multiple regression analysis and a multicollinearity test were used for the evaluation of the data. Results: It was determined that a statistically significant relationship exists between school burnout and the positive attitudes of adolescents towards smoking, which is positive and low (r=0.272) and also a statistically significant relationship between school burnout and negative attitudes of adolescents towards smoking, which is negative and low (r=- 0.117). Whereas there was a statistically significant relationship between educational stress and positive perceptions of adolescents towards smoking, which is positive and low (r=0.203), there was no statistically significant relationship between educational stress and negative perceptions of adolescents towards smoking (p>0.05). Conclusion: Adolescents’ perceptions about smoking are affected by school burnout and educational stress. For this reason, It is suggested that both of these concepts should be addressed together in tobacco prevention programs developing for adolescents.