Determinants of smoking-cessation intentions among female university students in Thailand

BACKGROUND: Smoking, including e-cigarette use, remains a significant global public health issue, with a concerningly high prevalence among female university students in Thailand. Given the unique physiological and psychosocial barriers that female face in cessation, this study aimed to identify determinants of the intention to quit smoking among female university students in Thailand. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Bangkok vicinity. Using snowball sampling, 423 female university students aged 18-25 years who were current users of tobacco products were recruited. Data were collected via an online questionnaire and analyzed using logistic regression. RESULTS: A majority of participants used e-cigarettes (67.8%), and 52.5% reported a high intention to quit. Factors significantly associated with intention to quit included decisional balance (Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) = 3.556; 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.852-6.828) and self-efficacy (AOR = 3.371; 95% CI: 1.639-6.932). Other positive correlates were type of smoking (AOR = 3.102; 95% CI: 1.350-7.129), vigorous physical activity (AOR = 2.692; 95% CI: 1.250-5.794), norms and support from peers (AOR = 2.606; 95% CI: 1.124-6.040), and previous quit attempts (AOR = 2.550; 95% CI: 1.194-5.449). Conversely, nicotine dependence (AOR = 0.058; 95% CI: 0.027-0.122), frequency of smoking (AOR = 0.394; 95% CI: 0.202-0.767), and BMI (AOR = 0.500; 95% CI: 0.252-0.992) were inversely associated with intention to quit. CONCLUSION: Interventions must focus on enhancing decisional balance, self-efficacy and providing targeted support to overcome their unique barriers.