Dedication, Abstract

iii ACKNOWLEDGMENT This research study would not have been successful without the help and generosity of some supportive people. The researcher would like to acknowledge the following people: Sr. Carolina Agravante, SPC, St. Paul University Iloilo Dean and President of the College of Nursing, for her patience and for sharing the basic concepts in Research; Her Research adviser, Ms. Maria Lalaine Nolasco, RN, MSN, for her patience and availability for guidance; Her Statistics instructor, Ms. Ma. Romy Alexis Pueyo, for her generosity of time, constant availability and assistance; Her parents; Antonio and Dolores, brothers; Antonio III, Eugene, John and Dalton, and friends, for the inspiration, support, encouragement love and care; Ostrich farmland, for the honey-coated candies provided during this stressful endeavor; SPU Iloilo Computer Laboratory and the working students on duty, for being accommodating in the printing of this research paper; Her batchmates, the Servien Christi Mariae 2008, for being a source of laughter, endurance and support; Most of all, to the Lord Almighty, for Whom if without, everything is nothing.

The Researcher

iv DEDICATION

The research would like to dedicate this thesis to her Papa, Mr. Antonio Q. Reyes, Jr. to her Mama, Mrs. Dolores S. Reyes for the undying support and love.

v Reyes, Joan S. (2008). “Smoking Prevalence Rate between Nursing and NonNursing Students of St. Paul University Iloilo” Unpublished undergraduate thesis (Bachelor of Science in Nursing, St. Paul University Iloilo, Iloilo City.) ABSTRACT This study is a descriptive research aimed at determining a difference in smoking prevalence rate between college students enrolled in Nursing and nonNursing degree programs. This research was done to test the hypothesis: There is a lower smoking prevalence rate among Nursing students as compared to non-Nursing students of St. Paul University Iloilo. The sample size was computed using Sloven’s formula, a total of 264 respondents from non-Nursing students and 257 from Nursing students. Self report questionnaires were randomly given to college students of SPU Iloilo from February 27 to March 1, 2008. Data gathered were encoded and tabulated using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software. A computation of the frequency and percentage was done including the mean and mode of the appropriate variable. Level of confidence was set at 0.05. Results of this study led to the following conclusions: There is higher smoking prevalence rate among non-Nursing students as compared to Nursing students of St. Paul University Iloilo; Advance knowledge and client interactions contribute to the increased adherence to or practice of healthy lifestyle among college students. Thus, the hypothesis of this study was accepted: There is a lower smoking prevalence rate among Nursing students as compared to non-Nursing students of St. Paul University Iloilo (SPU Iloilo).