RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN KNOWLEDGE OF THE DANGERS OF CIGARETTES AND SMOKING BEHAVIOR IN THE WORK AREA OF THE UPT PUSKESMAS PERUMNAS UTARA CIREBON CITY

Knowledge plays an important role in shaping individual behavior. With good knowledge,
a person tends to have a positive attitude and be more resistant to negative behaviors.
Awareness of the dangers of smoking is an important factor influencing smoking behavior.
The higher a person's knowledge of smoking hazards, the more likely they are to avoid or
even quit smoking. However, knowledge alone is not enough to change smoking behavior.
Other factors such as social environment, peer influence, and easy access to cigarettes can
also influence smoking behavior.This study aims to determine the relationship between
knowledge of the dangers of smoking and smoking behavior in the working area of UPT
Puskesmas Perumnas Utara, Cirebon City, in 2025.
The research is quantitative with a cross-sectional design and uses the Chi-Square test.
The sample consisted of 98 respondents selected using a random sampling technique. Data
were collected using questionnaires measuring respondents' knowledge of smoking
dangers and their smoking behavior, and were analyzed using univariate and bivariate
analysis.The results showed that 61.2% of respondents had good knowledge, but only 9.2%
showed good smoking behavior. The Chi-Square test results indicated no significant
relationship between knowledge of smoking dangers and smoking behavior (p-value =
0.228).
Although most respondents had good knowledge of the dangers of smoking, this did not
directly influence their smoking behavior. This indicates that other factors such as nicotine
addiction, social environment, and cognitive dissonance also play a major role in shaping
smoking behavior. A more comprehensive and continuous intervention is needed that not
only focuses on increasing knowledge, but also includes psychological approaches,
strengthening smoke-free environments, and providing smoking cessation support services
to reduce smoking habits in the community.