Smoking-Related Behavior and Motivation to Quit Smoking Among Engineering Students at Universitas Pejuang Republik Indonesia

Juherah Juherah (Jurusan Kesehatan Lingkungan Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar)
Ridhayani Adiningsih (Jurusan Kesehatan Lingkungan Poltekkes Kemenkes Mamuju)
Erlani Erlani (Jurusan Kesehatan Lingkungan Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar)
Fajar Akbar (Jurusan Kesehatan Lingkungan Poltekkes Kemenkes Mamuju)
Erwinda Alwi Rachman (Jurusan Kesehatan Lingkungan Poltekkes Kemenkes Makassar)

Jurnal Kesehatan Manarang
Vol 12 No 1 (2026): April 2026

Smoking prevalence among Indonesian university students remains alarmingly high, particularly among male students in engineering faculties; however, empirical evidence on the behavioral determinants of cessation motivation in this population is limited. Understanding the interplay between health knowledge, attitudes, and cessation-related actions is critical for designing evidence-based smoking cessation programs tailored to the university context. This study aimed to analyze the relationship between smoking-related behavior (knowledge, attitudes, and actions) and motivation to quit smoking among engineering students at Universitas Pejuang Republik Indonesia. An analytical observational study with a cross-sectional design was conducted. A total of 105 active smokers were recruited through purposive sampling from the Faculty of Engineering. Data were collected using a researcher-developed structured questionnaire comprising 40 Likert-scale items across four domains (knowledge, attitudes, actions, and motivation to quit). The instrument was validated through pilot testing (n=30) and demonstrated good internal consistency (Cronbach’s alpha: 0.78–0.85). Bivariate analysis was performed using chi-square tests and Fisher’s exact test with a significance level of α=0.05. The majority of respondents demonstrated good knowledge (96.19%), positive attitudes (92.38%), positive actions (77.14%), and high motivation to quit smoking (84.76%). Statistically significant associations were observed between motivation to quit smoking and knowledge (p=0.045; OR=4.89), attitudes (p=0.037; OR=5.23), and actions (p=0.044; OR=2.87). All three behavioral components were significantly associated with motivation to quit smoking. Attitudes demonstrated the strongest association, suggesting that university-based smoking cessation programs should prioritize attitude-modification strategies, such as motivational interviewing and peer support groups, complemented by behavioral skills training and smoke-free campus policies.