Smoking Behavior and Moral Identity in Malaysian Youth: Is Gender a Moderator or a Predictor?

Abstract

The role of gender in psychosocial development and health outcome is undeniable. This study aims to investigate the role of gender in two conditions, whether it as a moderator to the link between moral identity (internalization and symbolization) and smoking behavior; or if it is a single predictor or a co-predictor with moral identity in predicting smoking behavior. To examine this, 388 youths (61% female) who met the inclusion criteria participated in this online cross-sectional study. Participants were asked to rate their emotional responses ranging from unpleasant to pleasant whilst viewing images of smoking behavior. Participants were also instructed to provide their socio-demographic information and fill in the Moral Identity Scale. Gender had no moderation effect on the link between moral identity (symbolization and internalization) and smoking behavior, instead, gender (whether alone or in combination with internalization) was shown to directly predict smoking behavior. The implications for social health interventions and programs are highlighted by the findings.