RESISTANCE IN THE ‘SAY NO TO SMOKING’ CAMPAIGN

The study aims to identify the relationship between the characteristics of innovation and resistance towards the ‘Say No to Smoking’ campaign. By using cluster sampling, a total of 396 respondents were selected from eight secondary schools in the northern states of Peninsular Malaysia. Data were collected through a survey method data and were analyzed using the Pearson correlation statistical analysis. The results showed that there was a significant relationship between innovation characteristics i.e., relative advantage, compatibility, complexity and trialbility with the existence of resistance towards the ‘Say No to Smoking’ campaign. This study also showed that factors such as the characteristics of innovation which could lead to one more innovation may fail to get disseminated. In fact, this study can help decision makers to identify the causes of rejection of new innovations in health campaigns that are being introduced to the community in an effort to improve public’s receptiveness of future health campaigns.