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| OEFI Smoking
Prevention Program in Kindergartens |
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| Evaluation |
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Monitoring
The monitoring of the Smoking Prevention Program in Kindergartens
has been carried out on a continuous basis since the start of
the Program (1994) and parallel with this, based on the feedback
from kindergarten teachers, it has been improved and expanded.
since the autumn of 2002 the target group of monitoring is -
just like that of the Program - the children. The base of comparison
for the evaluation of the Program (Cook, Leviton, Shadish, 1985)
is the declared objectives of the Program: in general the protection
of the health of kindergarten-age children. More specifically:
starting from the recognition and acceptance of the cherry symbol
symbolizing the Program, through the transmission of information
corresponding to the characteristics of the age-group and the
development of conscious and active behavior against the compulsion
of passive smoking, the final objective is the forming of the
correct scale of values, health-behavior and attitudes. At the
same time the indirect objective is that the parents may change
their smoking behavior in the interest of their child (they
do not smoke in his presence even if they do not reduce the
daily cigarettes quantity).
The aim of the study was to find out whether the objectives
of the Program are realized both individually and as a whole.
The aim of the Smoking Prevention Program in Kindergartens is
primarily and in general the protection of the health of kindergarten-age
children. With respect to the objectives, the results may be
summarized as follows.
As compared to the situation before the introduction of the
Program:
- the children became more sensitive to the topic of smoking
- of course in the direction of smoking rejection
- they interpret correctly the cherry symbol
- their knowledge about smoking increases considerably
- the children become conscious of the fact that passive smoking
is not good for them
- the starting negative attitude of the children against smoking
is strengthened, and this may be manifested by a deliberate,
active behavior against the compulsion of passive smoking.
Summary of the results
The children got acquainted and accepted the meaning of the
cherry symbol. Its standard of interpretation has grown as the
result of the Program and based on the answers of the children
it did not decrease even 6 months after the introduction of
the Program.
The children received information on the level corresponding
to their age-group characteristics since after the introduction
of the Program they could recall correct connections with smoking
and with its effects, through the story of the tale and the
tools (smoke suction pump) of the Program. Of the potential
symptoms of the presumably smoking squirrel they mentioned several
relevant ones after the Program. They gave more and more realistic
associations in connection with smoking as the result of the
Program.
A deliberate, active behavior against the compulsion of passive
smoking has started to develop in the children, in so far as
they became more sensitive to the fact of smoking (according
to both the clinical study and the reports of their parents)
and in the three different situations of passive smoking but
mainly in the most real-life situation the children gave a greater
number of relevant, avoiding answers directly after the introduction
of the Program and this did not decrease even 6 months later.
Correct scale of values, health behavior and attitudes have
developed in the children, in so far as they became more sensitive
to the topic of smoking, and a greater percentage of them rejected
smoking directly after the introduction of the Program as compared
to the situation before the introduction of the Program, and
this even increased (to 100%) 6 months later.
Beyond the targeted objectives of the Program, as the result
of the introduction of the Program the smoking habits of some
of the parents ( a total of 4) have become more tolerant.
36% of the families - by identifying themselves with the Program’s
objectives - has put up the cherry symbol in some place in the
house.
Based on these results it can be said that the Smoking Prevention
Program in Kindergartens can be considered as the first, but
very important, step in the prevention of smoking.
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