Respiratory School (Smoke and COPD)

Objective: The TUBITAK Nature and Science School Project aimed to train teachers in schools connected with National Education in the Isparta province to raise awareness of smoking and its harm. Material and Method: Two hundred and thirty-one teachers (112 (48.48%) men and 119 (51.52%) women) participated in the training. A pre-test and post-test control group-free experimental study design was applied to measure training effectiveness during the Respiratory School project. At the end of the training, participants were asked to write their positive and negative feedback about the project using the so-called critical events technique. The questionnaire included information on satisfaction with education and trainers, demographic characteristics and thoughts about smoking, and the effect of education. A total of 196 participants completed the questionnaire. Results: Most participants were women (52.9%) aged 36 to 45 (46.2%). Most of the participants had teaching experience between 16 and 25 years. There was a significant improvement in correct answers between the pre-test and the post-test on all training days (p < 0.001). The Cronbach's alpha was 0.904, and the average response to training questions was 4.68. The reliability of our findings is underscored by a Cronbach alpha value of 0.969, with a mean expression score of 4.77, highlighting the reliability of the participants' responses. Approximately 26% of the participants (n=44) reported smoking. However, the incidence of smoking among family members of the participants was markedly higher, 47.9% (n=79). Similarly, the proportion of participants who had a spouse smoking was noteworthy (31.4%; n=48). had attempted to quit smoking at some point, but only three participants (5.8%) sought help in their quitting efforts. Of the participants, 75% (n=33) acknowledged that they had quit smoking but later resumed. Conclusion: The teachers who participated in the training found it helpful and increased targeted awareness.