Effect of a Health Promotion Program on Intention to Use Electronic Cigarettes Among Prathomsuksa 6 Students in Nong Yai District, Chonburi Province

Abstract

At present, the prevalence of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use among children and adolescents in Thailand has shown a continuous increasing trend, posing significant risks to health and contributing to long-term chronic diseases. This study employed a quasi-experimental research design to examine the effects of a health promotion program on the intention to use e-cigarettes among sixth-grade students in Nong Yai District, Chonburi Province. The program was developed based on the empowerment approach integrated with the Health Belief Model. The sample consisted of 66 students, who were equally assigned to an experimental group (n = 33) and a control group (n = 33). The experimental group participated in a health promotion program developed by the researcher over a five-week period. Research instruments included a demographic questionnaire, empowerment perception scale, Health Belief Model questionnaire, and e-cigarette use intention scale, all of which were tested for validity and reliability. Data were collected from June to August 2025 and analyzed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics, specifically the Independent Sample t-test. The results indicated that after the intervention, the experimental group demonstrated significantly higher levels of empowerment perception and health beliefs compared to the control group (p < .05). Moreover, the intention to use e-cigarettes among students in the experimental group significantly decreased compared to the control group (p < .05). These findings suggest that the health promotion program is effective in reducing the intention to use e-cigarettes. Therefore, this program should be implemented among other student populations to systematically and sustainably prevent e-cigarette use behaviors.