ATTITUDE OF WEST NEGROS UNIVERSITY

LEVEL 3 STUDENT NURSES

TOWARDS SMOKING

A Research Paper Presented To Faculty

And Staff of College of Nursing

West Negros University

Bacolod City

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements

In Bachelor of Science

In Nursing

by:

Gangoy, Lalaine

Gellada, Pamela Pearl

Genovea, Dona

Suegay, Charmy

Tomugdan, Michelle Marie

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Group 6 N3 - 5

Chapter 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Smoking is a habit but curable. Considered as curable but few people try to control

themselves from doing it. People, students and even professionals are often tempted to

smoke. For some, smoking relieves tension; superiority among others, curiosity,

satisfaction, and a form of self deception but the adverse consequences of smoking is

one’s own health.

Smoking exist everywhere even in school campuses that conclude to be huge

problem. According to Toni Christopherson, a problem that everyone tries to eradicate

but fails to act on it because they themselves cannot practice what they preach1. It is

obvious that smoking is one of the major problems of every college student. Many

college students are fond of smoking, it driven one self to heavenly feeling. But it is not

an excuse to be free from any complication someday.

Many people tried self discipline to control the temptation of smoking. Others

would try re- lifestyle and refocus their attention just to stop themselves from doing it.

But worse, others don’t know what to do and they simply give in. Others on the other

hand, would smoke not because they don’t know what to do but simply because they

won’t get belong to the “in group’.

1
Toni Christopherson, Working Nurse, (Working World, June 11- July 2, 2004), pp. 22.
 3

As mentioned earlier, smoking is curable; one always has the power to control

one’s self. Because of smoking, few qualified people get to be successful. It's because

of smoking is one of the reason that word's mortality rate. Smoking could never be

eradicated unless we try to start the battle against it and heart attack in those with heart

disease.

Studies have indicated that some student does smoking during their vacant time

than studying their lessons. Smoking in college especially in nursing students is

becoming popular substitute for learning. There are some factors of smoking which has

the social approval from parents, faculty and friends. Some studies shows that student

with low self – esteem is actually more likely to smoke than student with high self –

esteem because of the negative evaluation that they might receive from the people

around them.2 3

Objectives of the Study

2
Keller, Kimberly, Great Emphasis, 1976, pp.32
3
Polacheck, Whitney, Guiding Rules for a Better, 1996, pp. 45
 4

The main purpose of this is to know the attitude of West Negros University

student nurses towards smoking.

Specifically, this study answers the following questions:

1. What are the attitudes of WNU student's nurses toward smoking?

a. favorable

b. unfavorable

2. What are the attitudes of male and female student nurses toward
smoking?

3. What are the attitudes of regular and second courser students toward
smoking?

4. What is the influence of smoking on the academic and clinical

performance of the student in WNU College of nursing?

5. What will WNU do for student nurse to stop smoking?

a. Prohibit smoking inside the campus, or within the parameter of 200m

away from school.

b. Fine of 100 pesos when caught of smoking.

c. Make an incident report when caught of smoking while on school or

clinical area.

Assumptions
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The basic assumptions considered in this investigation are as follows:

1. Male and Female student nurses possess different attitude toward smoking.

2. Everyone is entitled to choose his or her own recreational activities.

3. Each school has certain ways to prevent unnecessary misdoing inside the school

campus.

Theoretical Framework

Smoking has been practiced in one form or another since ancient times.

Perception surrounding smoking has varied over time and from one place to another;

holy and sinful, sophisticated and vulgar, a panacea and deadly health hazard. Only

recently, and primarily in industrialized Western countries, has smoking come to be

viewed in a decidedly negative light. Today medical studies have proven that smoking

is among the leading causes of diseases such as stenosis, lung cancer, heart attacks and

chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and can also lead to birth defects. The well-

proven health hazards of smoking have caused many countries to institute high taxes on

tobacco products and anti-smoking campaigns are launched every year in an attempt to

curb smoking.

The reasons given by smokers for this activity are broadly categorized as

"addictive smoking", "pleasure from smoking", "tension reduction/relaxation", "social

smoking", "stimulation", "habit/automatism", and "handling". There are gender

differences in how much each of these reasons contribute, with females more likely

than males to cite "tension reduction/relaxation", "stimulation" and "social smoking"

 6

A clear majority of alcoholics smoke. According to Evelyn Lutz4, between 80

and 95 percent of alcoholics smoke cigarettes, which is more than three times higher

than among the population as a whole.

Research has also shown that smokers with a history of alcoholism are more

nicotine dependent than smokers with no such history, and suggests smoking cessation

may prompt a relapse to drinking among a small number of smokers with a history of

alcoholism.

"This study refutes the common perception that smokers with a history of

alcoholism have more difficulty quitting smoking and are likely to relapse back to

alcoholism," said John R. Hughes5, professor of psychiatry at the University of

Vermont and lead author of the study. "Our results suggest smokers with this history

need to be encouraged to attempt to stop smoking."

Hughes also said that for "for 85 percent of smokers with past alcoholism,

quitting smoking is not a problem. Furthermore, as our findings indicate, we found

smokers with past but not current alcoholism were able to quit as well and benefited

from nicotine-patch treatment to the same degree as smokers without this history.

4
Evelyn Lutz, Philippine Journal of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, January-June 2006,pp.23
5
John R. Hughes, Smoke Alarm, Volume 76, March-December 1998
 7

Social approval whether it is from parents, faculty or friends, is a factor that

attributes to smoking. Crowne and Marlou6 found college student with a high need for

approval of smoking more often because they as concerned about negative evaluation.

Attitudes and Values as Motivational Perceptual State

Attitudes and values can be thought and will be dealt with here as motivational

perceptual states7. An individuals attitude set a respond through the perceptual quality

of selecting, categorizing, and interpreting experience in the line of expectation;

individuals' values are associated with the central tendency of cluster of his attitude in a

long – range motivational sense.

Attitudes are learned in terms of restricting of the psychological fields. This

process is a dynamic one in so far as attitudes and values are subject to change though

the acquisition of new information. However, attitudes appear to be more susceptible to

apparent change while the basic values underlying them persist.

Attitudes are important in social psychology because they sum up the past

experience of the individual in terms of directive motivational perceptual states,

growing

out of learning. This process therefore has consequences not only in terms of

observable behaviors but also with respect to potentials fro the individual's action.

6
Erik Crowne and Marlou, Your Health Guide, February-August 2005, pp. 85
7
Franklin Allport, Choose life, not smoking, pp. 106
 8

The Structures and Functions of Attitudes

In the early studies of attitudes, it was quite common to rely largely on the

description on individual's attitudes, their direction in terms of valence, and the belief

system that they constituted. More recently, attitudes have been viewed with

considerably greater stress on what can be called their structural relationships and

functional features. The first of these newer emphases has been called "cognitive

interaction'' which conveys the idea of a relationship between attitudes within the

psychological field. It also encompasses the process by which new experiences become

absorbed as added information. Within this approach a great deal of contemporary

research has been directed toward attitudinal consistency and congruity, about which

we shall say more shortly. The second emphasis, on functional features, concerns

especially the motivation serve.

Components and Aspects of Attitudes

There are great ways to approach the organization of attitudes, but for

convenience, we can consider them with reference the three major components and

three aspects of study. Regarding the components, Katz8 observes that attitudes have

been treated with respect to a cognitive component, which refers to belief – disbelief,

affective components, which deal with like – dislike, and an action components, which

embodies a readiness to respond.

8
Emily Katz, Aspects of Behavior, pp:123-124 h
 9

The relationship of these components continues to be a lively interest in contemporary

social psychology. Thus believing or not believing something, and liking one or the

other alternatives, is by no means simple distinctions to make.

As Rokeach9 has pointed out, a firmly entrenched belief, especially when

challenge, is usually found to have considerable positive effect. There maybe a little

apparent liking – in the sense of positive valence associated with one's belief that the

earth is round, yet a contradiction of it would generate strong feeling. This point bears

on consistency which will be considered below.

The three major aspects in the study of attitudes are: the relationships of their

components, especially in terms of cognitive interaction and individual adjustment;

their source, that is, the patterns by which attitudes are acquired through learning; and

attitude change, with reference to the influences on the individual which result in the

incorporation of new experience and the modification of attitudes10.

View broadly; there are several qualities of attitudes which may we may now

generalize as follows: they are beliefs and feelings about an object or set of objects in

the social environment; they are learned; they to persist, though subject to the effects of

experience; and they are directives states in the psychological field which affects

action.

9
Rokeach, Beliefs & Attitude,pp89
10
Elliot Karen, Significant Gains, 1996, pp. 63
 10

Scope

This study covers all the level 3 nursing student of West Negros University –

Bacolod. The sample size was predetermined because of the inadequate list of student

involves in smoking. To enable to identify male and female respondents in their

affection in smoking and school objectives to handle the necessary precautions toward

smoking.

Limitations

In view of financial and time constraints on the part of the researchers, only

level 3 student nurses were selected: Level 3 because it is easy and accessible on the

part of the researchers as they are also in the same year level. Aside from that, level 3 is

the time were the student nurses are expose to the clinical area for their internship.
 11

Definition of Terms

Academic Performance –conceptually academic performance refers to the over

all evaluation of the academic performance reflected in student's grades. Operationally,

these terms refer to the over all grades of students in all his subjects.

Age – refers to the length of time of level 3 students which measured by years

from birth that considerably existed.

Attitude – refers to mental disposition, feelings or emotion toward a state or

fact. In this study, this term means the student's feeling and disposition toward

smoking.

Clinical Performance – the term refers to the evaluation of the performance in

the clinical setting, hospital or community.

Sex- conceptually this term refers to the sum of structural and functional

differences of every individual. Operationally this term refers to male and female

engage in smoking.

Smoking - is a practice where a substance, most commonly tobacco, is burned

and the smoke tasted or inhaled. This is primarily done as a form of recreational drug

use, as combustion releases the active substances in drugs such as nicotine and makes

them available for absorption through the lungs. In this study, this term refer to the

inhalation of burned tobacco stick of the students.

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Significance of the Study

This study will be great significance to the following:

Clinical Instructors in WNU. As clinical instructors guide and are the one who

are always there for the students, they have a great responsibility in motivating the

students. This study will provide and support the students in giving good quality

education and health teaching which could necessarily extend benefits in the school and

for the students. In terms of school performances, level 3 student nurses could practice

self discipline through the help of Clinical Instructors who handle them. They should

give advices and health teachings for the students to be more aware of the effects of

smoking towards their health, academic and clinical performance.

Dean of the College of Nursing. In order for the dean to assess the immediate

needs of the student services and supervises the level 3 student nurses through their

academic performance and health status. Furthermore, to determine whether this study

towards smoking has a great impact in the student nurse's academic and clinical

performance. Also for the dean of the college to be alarmed and to implement actions

that could alleviate the students attitude towards smoking. This is not only for the

college but also for the school to uplift its name and produce quality nurses in the near

future.

For Academic Performance Administrators. For them to give a future program

that will draw out a plan for the school. They could provide objectives and support the

program which could serve as baseline for decision – making.

 13

For the class advisers, who could give student nurses care and guidance and

which could possibly help students in managing their life. They could provide

objectives and identify all their perspective needs from the different policy of the

school.

For Level 3 student nurse’s, so their goals could be identified, and for the

benefits of their future plans, health and career. This could be chance of opportunity for

them to gain self discipline and be a role model to their responding clients in the

clinical area, school and community. They will realized that what they are doing will

affect their studies.

For the researcher, to encourage changes in the health habit of their fellow

students and be knowledgeable on the effects of smoking, health discipline and an

anchor individuals to maintain and strengthen the health condition of the students

nurses in terms of promotive, preventive and curative aspects of the course.

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Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter covers more on the study, which is basically related to the research

study of the attitude of West Negros University College of Nursing level 3 student

nurses towards smoking. This chapter contains the related reading, ideas, concept and

research studies of different authors and sources in relation to the effect of smoking to

one's attitude.

Conceptual Literature

Smoking is the practice of inhaling tobacco from a pipe or cigarette. The custom

of smoking tobacco is thought to have started in the Americas. In the late 1400's,

English and Spanish explorers returning from the New World brought back to Europe

the custom of pipe smoking, which they had learned from Indians. Cigarette smoking

may have started among the Aztecs of Mexico, who smoked shredded tobacco rolled

inside corn husks. Until the 1900's tobacco was used mainly in cigars, chewing tobacco

and snuff. Later cigarette smoking became popular and increased sharply after World

War 1 (1918) and again after World War II (1945)11.

In 1964 the United States Public Health Service released a landmark document,

smoking in health: Report of the Advisory Committee to the Surgeon General, which

concluded that smoking is a major cause of cancer of the lung, mouth and throat. Since,

then researchers have shown that each year cigarette smoking cause more than 300,000

premature deaths in the United States alone, principally from the heart disease, cancer
11
The New Book of Knowledge, 1992, pp. 243
 15

and chronic (long – lasting) obstructive lung disease, such as emphysema. In 1965,

congress adopted legislation requiring that all cigarette packages carry a warning about

the health hazard of smoking. Cigarette advertisements on radio and television have

been banned since 1970.

One of the more recent concerns about smoking is the effects of tobacco smoke

has on nonsmokers (" passive or involuntary'' smoking). The 1986 Surgeon General's

Report, the health consequences of involuntary smoking, came to three major

conclusion: (1) Involuntary smoking is a cause of disease, including lung cancer, in

healthy nonsmokers; (2) the children of parents who smoke have more respiratory

infection, such as pneumonia and bronchitis, than the children on non- smokers. (3) The

separation of smokers and non- smokers may reduce, but does not eliminate, the

exposure of nonsmokers to environmental tobacco smoke12. These findings support

recent trend towel restricting or banning smoking in public places and in the workplace.

In fact, the surgeon general and Public Health Service have called fro smoke – free

society in succeeding years.

Campaigns aimed at educating the Public about the health hazards of smoking

have been very successful. Studies shows that 90% of the U.S. adult population now

recognizes that cigarette smoking cause lung cancer, heart disease and emphysema.

Teenagers have begun turning away from cigarettes. The percentage of high school

seniors who smoke every day has fallen from 29 % in 1977 to about 20% in 1987. It is

critical that people recognize that dangers of smoking before they consider taking up

12
Time Magazine, Volume 44, 1995, pp.5
 16

the habit. Smoking causes smokers cough, a lower capacity for exercise, addiction to

nicotine, and in the long run, severe disability and death13.

Local Literature

In the Philippines, the number of women who smoke is constantly on the rise. It

is a phenomenon that, in recent years, seems to affect the youngest most of all: 30% of

girls between the ages of 13 and 18 smoke regularly.

According to a recent study conducted by the Southeast Asia Tobacco Control Alliance,

18.7% of Filipino young women between the ages of 13 and 25 smoke cigarettes. The

numbers go up if the sample is restricted to teenagers between 13 and 15: 3 out of 10

already have the smoking habit. Among female smokers, 60% say that they smoked

their first cigarette at the age of 18, while the remaining 40% say they started when they

were still very young.

They continue to smoke despite the fact that they are aware of the risks

connected to smoking: nine girls out of ten know that smoking can cause lung cancer,

infertility, early menopause, osteoporosis, and hysterectomy. For this reason, the

country has begun an anti-smoking campaign supported by the local Catholic Church:

the first initiatives include that of putting warning labels on packaging14.

13
The New Book Of Knowledge, 1992, pp. 587
14
AsiaNews.It.com, February 05, 2007
 17

Research Literature

Alarm more teens are lighting up and making smoking a habit. But do they

really know the harm they're doing to their young bodies? Some teens are asked why

they smoke. They mostly answered to relieve tension; to be in "in" the group, fashion

and make them feel strong and heavenly feeling. There are only some teenagers being

asked for the reasons of why they smoke. True that we all die but don’t we know the

adverse consequences smoking has on one's health.

More than just addictive nicotine, these are the poisons that go into our lungs

each time we inhale cigarette smoke. ARSENIC: used in rat poison; ACETIC ACID:

hair dye and developer; ACETONE: main ingredients in paint and fingernail polish

remover; AMMONIA: a typical household cleaner; BENZENE: rubber cement;

CADIUM: found in batteries and artist oil plant that carries carbon monoxide;

FORMALDEHYDE: used to embalm dead bodies; HYDRAZINE: used in jet and

rocket fuels; HYDROGEN CYANIDE: poison in gas chambers; NAPTHALINES: used

in explosive moth balls and pain pigments; NICKEL: used in the process of

electroplating; PHENOL; used in disinfectants and plastics; POLONIUM: radiation

dosage equal to 300 chest X-ray in one year; STYRENE: found in isolation material;

TOLUENE: embalmers glue; VINYL CHLORIDE: ingredients found in garbage

bags15.

The gross truth, the damage of smoking does to our insides eventually shows in

our physical appearance. It's not about beig vain, but puffing can really strip our pretty

15
The Script, 2002, pp.41
 18

points. Its stained teeth that either yellowish or brownish, bad breath, a yellow stain in

the fingertips, black lips, facial wrinkles and an over all odor of stale smoke that

everyone, except a smoker that can detect.

 19

Chapter III

METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses the method of research use, the subject and respondent of

the study, the sampling procedures, the research instrument, the data gathering

procedure and the data processing technique use.

Since the main purpose of this study was to determine the effect of smoking in

the health condition and the academic and clinical performances of the student nurses.

Research Design

In this study, the descriptive research design is use because we want to know if

smoking has great effect on the clinical and academic performance of nursing students.

What is really their reason of smoking? Descriptive research is the most widely

research design, indicated by the numerous thesis dissertations and non-academic

researches, the primary aim of which is to describe existing belief, opinion or condition

of social group; compare sub groups in terms of selected variables; determine the

relationship between among variables covered16.

Respondents of the study

The respondents of the study will be the level 3 male and female student nurses

of West Negros University. These students' respondent will be identified in terms of

their academic performance, and clinical performance. With the use of purposive

16
Ardales, Venancio, 3rd Edition, 2008.
 20

sampling procedure, there were 300 level student nurses who were taken as respondent.

To determine the sample size, Solvin's formula was used.

n = __N__

1 + Ne²

Where: n = sample size

N = population size

e = desired margin of error set at 0.5 level of confidence

Thus: n = _200_

1+ 500(.05)²

Data gathering Procedure

The researcher requested the approval of the dean of College of Nursing to gather

the pertinent data necessary to answer the objectives of the investigation. Approval

from the College Registrar for the procurement of grades was also sought upon

approval; the researcher personally copied the averages of the academic grades as well

as the clinical grades of the level 3 student nurses. Other information which was needed

to establish the profile of the respondents was also gathered from the same office.

Research Instrument

This study will make use of a survey questionnaire compose parts to gather the

needed data. It will be supplemented by the academic and clinical record of the level 3

student nurses in second semester S.Y. 2008 – 2009. It will be further supplied with
 21

interview to level 3 student nurses to collaborate and substantiate the information

gathered from the questionnaire.

Data Analysis Procedure

The following statistical tools were utilized to analyze the gathered data to answer

the first objective which sought whether level 3 student nurses of WNU are favorable

or not, towards smoking. Objective 2 and 3 determine the attitudes between the male

and female and the regular and second courser level 3 student nurses towards smoking.

The formula to be used:

Descriptive Statistics

% = F/N × 100

% = percent

F = frequency

N = total # of the respondent

Objectives 4 sought to determine the level of academic and clinical performance of

the level 3 nursing student when group according to attitude of student, regular or

second courser, smoking habit, the mean was used. According to Basilio, the mean is

the most dependable measure of central tendency.

The formula is as follows:

X = __efx__

N
 22

where:

x = the mean

efx = sum of the weighted scores

N = total # of the respondents

 23

QUESTIONNAIRE

PART I. Bio – Profile

Direction: Please indicate your response by checking the appropriate box or by filling

the blank.

1. Name (optional)___________________

2. Sex: ( ) Male ( ) Female

3. Age: _____________

4. Estimated allowance for a week ______________

5. Regular: ( ) Second Courser: ( )

6. Active Smoker: ( ) Passive Smoker: ( )

PART II.

Direction: Please check the parenthesis which corresponds to your answer.

1. I usually smoke when I'm bored. ( ) Yes ( ) No

2. I usually smoke when I see my classmates do the same. ( ) Yes ( ) No

3. I consume more than 5 sticks of cigarette per day. ( )Yes ( )No

4. I smoke when I encounter problems. ( ) Yes ( ) No

5. Smoking affect my study habits, my performance in the academic and clinical

area. ( ) Yes ( ) No

I believe smoking makes me release my tension. ( ) Yes ( ) No

6. I believe smoking is risk full in my health in the future. ( ) Yes ( ) No

7. I believe smoking is already a part of my lifestyle. ( ) Yes ( ) No

8. West Negros University should implement rules and regulations to eliminate

smoking. ( ) Yes ( ) No
 24

BIBLIOGRAPHY

BOOKS

Ardales, Venancio B.
2008 Basic Concepts and Methods in Research. 3rd edition. Ermita, Manila:
Educational Publishing Company

Christopherson, Toni G.
2004 Working Nurse, Working world. New York: Wadsworth Publishing Company.

Hughes, John R.
1996 Smoke Alarm. San Diego State University

Keller, Kimberly F.
1996 Great Emphasis. California:

Polacheck, Whitney.
1996 Guiding Rule for a better.” New Jersey: Prentice Hall Inc.

The New Book of Knowledge

1992 History of Smoking

PERIODICALS

Philippine Journal of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism. (January / June 2006)

The Script. (2002)
Time Magazine, Volume 44, (1995).

INTERNET

www. AsiaNews.It.com
 25

TABLE OF CONTENT

PAGE

APPROVAL SHEET ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii

ABSTRACT iv

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES

CHAPTER

I INTRODUCTION

Background of the study

Statement of the Problem

Hypothesis

Theoretical Framework

Conceptual Framework

Significance of the Study

Scope and Delimitations of the study

Definition of Terms