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Factors that encourage cigarette consumption among college students: A theory of planned behavior perspective

Context: The numbers of cigarette smokers and deaths from this cause have grown rapidly in recent years. Different factors that increase cigarette smoking, college students have become a highly vulnerable population to smoking cigarette. Aims: To examine the main factors that encourage college students to consume cigarettes by adopting the Theory of Planned Behavior. Methods: A cross-sectional quantitative study was carried out with 300 students enrolled in public and private universities in the city of Medellín, Colombia. Kaiser-Meyer-Olkin and Bartlett’s sphericity tests were used to measure the validity of the scales. The reliability of the instrument was verified by calculating Cronbach’s Alpha and the model was analyzed by Confirmatory Factor Analysis. Results: The main factors that determine the consumption of cigarettes among the population under study are experiencing new sensations and reacting to situations that cause anxiety. Regarding the model, the main factors influencing cigarette consumption are related to attitude toward the consumption behavior and perceived behavioral control. Secondary factors are related to social behaviors. Conclusions: The Theory of Planned Behavior is a helpful tool for different fields of knowledge—including public health—to identify factors, variables and relationships that inhibit or motivate an individual’s decisions. The results of this study suggest that the factors that most influence cigarette consumption in the analyzed population are related to attitude and control factors.