CHILDRENS SMOKING-HABITS IN AN AGRICULTURAL COMMUNITY IN JAPAN AND THE IMPORTANCE OF A NO-SMOKING PROGRAM INTEGRATING FAMILY, SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY-HEALTH

The object of this study is to establish a model of integration of the health promotion projects which have been planned separately by schoo ls and communities so far in an agricultural area in Japan, to solve t he problem of children's smoking. The subjects of the study were 10-15 y old schoolchildren and their parents. The questionnaires were comple ted by the children themselves at school and also by their parents at home, in July 1995. One fourth of the junior high school boys had ever tried smoking, while most of their parents did not notice that their children were smoking. More than half of the children who had ever tri ed smoking mainly acquired tobacco from their homes. One tenth of them were prompted to smoke by their fathers or other relatives. To develo p a health promotion project for children which includes prevention of smoking, the provision of a health education program and an environme nt which encourages health are important for children. The project sho uld also be community-based because participation of local inhabitants in the project gives it additional impetus. In order to promote the c omprehensive health of children, we emphasize the importance of settin g up a healthy district plan based on the health policy of the general community.