Effectiveness of smoking prevention programs for preschool children in South Korea at post intervention

Abstract

This study investigated the persistent effects of the Smoking Prevention Education Program for Young Children in South Korea. The subjects were 652 children aged five and six who attended eight early-childhood educational institutions. In the first year of the study, a pre- and post-test were conducted before and after the program, and the second post-test was conducted in the second year of the study. The results of the study are as follows. First, knowledge about preventing smoking, their attitude towards smoking, and ability of practicing smoking prevention measures of children aged five and six were improved significantly after their participation in the program. Second, children's knowledge about preventing smoking, their attitude towards smoking, and ability practice of children aged five and six persisted until they became six and seven years old. The results of this study provide implications for the improvement of current education to prevent smoking for young children.