Penpak Chantasorn. Responses to tobacco control policy and measures of the official in accordance with the tobacco control laws, Chonburi province . Master's Degree(Health Education and Behavioral Sciences). Mahidol University. : Mahidol University, 2006.
Responses to tobacco control policy and measures of the official in accordance with the tobacco control laws, Chonburi province
Abstract:
This cross-sectional survey research aimed to study the performance and factors
affecting responses to tobacco control policy and measures among the officials who have been
authorized to work in accordance with the tobacco control laws in Chonburi Province. The
instrument of this research was a self-administered questionnaire and interview guidelines. The
data were collected through mailing. The respondents were 468 (51.4%). Data was analyzed by
computing descriptive and analytical statistics : percentage, arithmetic means, standard deviation,
Chi-square test, Pearson product moment correlation, and Stepwise multiple regression.
The results revealed that 57.2 percent were male. There were 32.8 percent of the samples
who were between 41-50 years average age was 40.5 years, and 64.7 percent were married. In the
official’s performance and measures response to the tobacco control policy it was found that 76.8
percent have performed their work at the level that “needed to be improved”, 18.4 percent “have not
worked at all”, and 4.8 percent “moderate”. While 0.5 percent have performed at the “very good”
level. It was found that 58.9 percent of the officials indicated that they have performed the activities
related to Setting Tobacco-Free Place Areas. Most of the health education activities that have been
performed by the official were giving information to public school students and university students
(58.9%). The stepwise multiple regression was used to analyzed which found that the factors used to
predict the performance responses of tobacco control policy and measures were : perceptions of the
legal authority in accordance with the Protection of the Health of Non-smokers Act B.E.2535
(1992); being appointed to be the authorized personnel in accordance with the Tobacco Product
Control Act B.E. 2535 (1992); organizing activities of the organizations; availability of materials;
supports from heads; having networks; and perceptions regarding tobacco control policy and
measures. Whereby all of these variables could predict the performance responses to the tobacco
control policy and measures 43.8 percent. The important problems/obstacles of the performance
responses to tobacco control policy and measures were: one personnel has to be responsible for
many tasks; lack of budget for implementing the program; and lack of knowledge regarding tobacco
control laws among personnel, 55.3, 54.2 and 44.7 percent respectively. These findings
recommended to relevant organization to arrange the training/seminars regarding tobacco control for
these officials, the formal appointment of an adequate number of officials supporting materials and
budgets for each unit.