Research

As the national university, we champion and support innovative research that addresses the country’s most pressing challenges.

09 Jun 2025

UP Diliman

There is a weak relationship between 3D mandibular shape and diet in extant primates

This is a study that uses 3D shape analyses to investigate if there is a relationship between mandible shape in...

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09 Jun 2025

UP Diliman

The presumed invisibility and “mute” voices of Pinay lesbian writers parallel the similar invisibility of nature in Philippine anthologies

In the introduction to Tingle: Anthology of Pinay Lesbian Writing (2021), the anthology’s editor, Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz, points to...

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03 Jun 2025

UP Diliman

AI can enhance conceptual understanding and boost self-confidence in mathematics

AI is increasingly integrated into educational settings, offering personalized learning experiences that adapt to individual needs. While AI has the...

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28 May 2025

UP Diliman

SPECIAL FEATURE: How did Filipino athletes cope with the Covid-19 pandemic?

The COVID-19 pandemic deeply affected social and economic life around the world. To protect public health, many countries enforced lockdowns...

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21 May 2025

UP Diliman

Machine learning holds great promise for advancing hadron physics and deepening our understanding of the subatomic world

We investigated a peak signal around MeV in the invariant mass spectrum, which has intrigued physicists as a potential candidate...

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20 May 2025

UP Diliman

Cigarette demand varies with changes in price

This study looks into how recent tax reforms on cigarettes and fermented liquor in the Philippines have affected people’s consumption...

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08 May 2025

UP Diliman

There is a weak positive correlation between land surface temperature and concentrations of carbon monoxide and nitrogen dioxide

This study looks at how land surface temperature (LST) from satellite data, elevation, and air quality parameters are related in...

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07 May 2025

Proper water management and soil sanitation can help prevent crop losses caused by the Paramyrothecium fungus

Paramyrothecium is a fungus that can cause plant diseases like coffee leaf spots, muskmelon crown rot, and eggplant crater rot....

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02 May 2025

Simulations show that rosette nanotube is a potential vehicle for anticancer drugs such as paclitaxel

Anticancer drugs such as paclitaxel (PTX) affect the healthy cells apart from the cancer cells, causing severe side effects. Targeted...

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30 Apr 2025

Leni Robredo’s presidential campaign offered supporters spaces that reflected their hopes by highlighting gender and sexuality issues

This paper examines how Leni Robredo’s presidential campaign during the 2022 Philippines elections used language and visuals to create a...

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30 Apr 2025

Researchers propose a modified inelastic bouncing ball model that includes collision time between the ball and its container

The behavior of granular materials subjected to shaking or vibration remains a complex puzzling phenomenon. A reliable strategy in science...

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25 Apr 2025

A method has been developed to determine the minimum aperture size that a digital micromirror device can accurately render

A digital micromirror device (DMD) is a programmable pixelated instrument that uses an array of tiny individually switchable mirrors as...

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Research

Smoking is considered a serious health threat, particularly in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Several studies have demonstrated a strong association between smoking and the severity of COVID-19, which may lead to an increased risk of death. Smoking may also contribute to the spread of the virus through the gathering and sharing of tobacco among smokers.

As meaning is purely subjective and can vary from one person to another, this study aims to add new insights into the meaning of smoking as perceived by a new set of participants—farmworkers—whose age, educational, cultural, and socio-economic backgrounds, and experiences may differ from those in previous studies. It explores why farmworkers in the Southern Philippines continue smoking despite known health risks and anti-smoking campaigns. The study focuses on how these workers perceive smoking as part of their daily lives.

Using a qualitative narrative inquiry approach, the researchers interviewed seven male farmworkers to understand their personal stories and experiences with smoking. The findings revealed that smoking, influenced by family and friends, holds deep meaning for these individuals. It plays a role in socializing and is ingrained as a part of their daily routine. Furthermore, it helps manage stress and negative emotions, and serves as a mental stimulant.

Despite health warnings and high cigarette prices, smoking remains a core part of the group’s identity and community life. This study shows that smoking is not just a habit but a deeply rooted cultural practice among farmworkers, strengthened by social norms and emotional connections. Understanding these personal and social meanings can help develop more culturally sensitive smoking cessation programs designed for specific communities. The insights from this study can guide policymakers and health professionals in creating more effective public health campaigns to reduce smoking among vulnerable groups, especially in rural farming areas.

Authors: Reymark P. Malinda (University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines-Jasaan) and Benjamina Paula G. Flor (University of the Philippines Los Baños)

Read the full paper: https://journal.usep.edu.ph/index.php/Southeastern_Philippines_Journal/article/view/457