Awareness of college students on Davao City’s Anti-Smoking Ordinance (City Ordinance No. 0367-12 s. 2012) and their smoking behavior

Abstract

Tobacco control ordinances reduce smoking prevalence only when target populations are aware of their provisions. Among college students—a critical period for health habit formation—the link between ordinance awareness and smoking related cognitions remains understudied in the Philippine local governance context. This study examined awareness of Davao City’s Anti Smoking Ordinance (City Ordinance No. 0367 12 s. 2012) among 272 college students, described their smoking behavior across four belief dimensions, and determined correlations between ordinance awareness and smoking beliefs. Using a quantitative descriptive correlational design with stratified random sampling, data were collected via adapted instruments. Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s rank order correlation were applied. Students demonstrated very high ordinance awareness. Authority enforcement and penalty clarity received the highest ratings, while community dissemination and monitoring were slightly lower. Health related consequences of smoking yielded the highest behavioral mean, negative behavioral beliefs were high, and positive behavioral beliefs were moderate. Spearman’s correlations showed that ordinance awareness was positively associated with negative behavioral beliefs, health related results, and complicating control beliefs. No significant correlations emerged for positive behavioral beliefs, normative beliefs, or facilitating control beliefs. High ordinance awareness strengthens recognition of smoking’s negative health consequences and perceived barriers to smoking, but does not appear to operate through social normative pathways. These findings support sustained health education and visible enforcement as tobacco control mechanisms in educational settings, while identifying social norm interventions as an underserved complementary strategy.