Search

AIM: This paper examines how beliefs of smokers in the UK were affected by the removal of 'light' and 'mild' brand descriptors, which came into effect on 30 September 2003 for Member States of the European Union (EU). PARTICIPANTS: The data come from the first four waves (2002-2005) of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Four-Country Survey, an annual cohort telephone survey of adult smokers in Canada, USA, UK and Australia (15 450 individual cases). DESIGN: The UK ban on misleading descriptors occurred around the second wave of data collection in the ITC survey, permitting us to compare beliefs about light cigarettes among adult smokers in the UK before and after the ban, with beliefs in the three other ITC countries unaffected by the ban. RESULTS: There was a substantial decline in reported beliefs about the benefits of light cigarettes in the UK following the policy change and an associated public information campaign, but by 2005 (ie, wave 4), these beliefs rebounded slightly and the change in beliefs was no greater than in the USA, where there was no policy change. CONCLUSIONS: The findings reveal that high levels of misperceptions about light cigarettes existed among smokers in all four countries before and after the EU ban took effect. We cannot conclude that the policy of removing some aspects of misleading labels has been effective in changing beliefs about light cigarettes. Efforts to correct decades of consumer misperceptions about light cigarettes must extend beyond simply removing 'light' and 'mild' brand descriptors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominant theories of health behavior posit that social-cognitive and conative variables are sufficient to explain health behavior tendencies. The current studies challenge this assumption in two ways: (1) by demonstrating that unique variance in health protective behavior is predictable by knowing about individual differences in executive functioning, and (2) by demonstrating that executive function moderates the association between intention and behavior. In Studies 1 and 2, participants completed a computer-based task of executive function (Go/NoGo task) and articulated 1-week behavioral intentions for physical activity (Study 1) and dietary behavior (Study 2). Hierarchical regression analyses revealed that executive function predicts unique variance in both behaviors, and strongly moderates the association between behavioral intention and behavioral performance. Together behavioral intention and executive function explain more variance in health protective behavior than 'rational actor' models that have been widely adopted and disseminated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This longitudinal study tested the ability of the reasons model (Meichenbaum & Fong, 1993) to predict the breastfeeding intentions of 317 first-time mothers before and after breastfeeding experience. The reasons model proposes that three levels of reasons for (pro) and against (con) adherence to health-related advice predict intentions: evidence-based (Level I); self-consequential (Level II); and affective, schema-related (Level III) reasons. Path analyses showed that the reasons model was able to predict breastfeeding intentions. Level III reasons most strongly predicted prenatal and early postpartum intentions, whereas Level II con breastfeeding reasons predicted later postpartum intentions. Breastfeeding intentions significantly predicted behavior. This study indicates that the reasons model is valuable for understanding health behavior over time, and that all three levels of reasons should be considered when developing behavior change interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE: To characterize smoking beliefs among Thai and Malaysian youth and to examine associations with gender, antismoking media exposure, and smoking status. METHODS: Nationally representative samples of youth completed self-administered questionnaires. RESULTS: A substantial proportion of youth reported positive beliefs about smoking. Those reporting positive beliefs were more likely to be susceptible to smoking. Youth who noticed antismoking media were less likely to report positive beliefs about smoking. CONCLUSIONS: As in Western countries, beliefs about smoking held by youth in Southeast Asia are associated with smoking status. Antismoking media may be an important means of targeting beliefs about smoking among youth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To examine the salience of tobacco marketing on postsecondary campuses and student support for tobacco control policies. METHODS: Face-to-face surveys were conducted with 1690 students at 3 universities in southwestern Ontario. RESULTS: Virtually all (97%) students reported noticing tobacco marketing in the past year, and 35% reported noticing marketing on campus. There was strong support for smoke-free restrictions on campus, including restaurants and bars (82%), and for prohibitions on campus marketing. The presence of campus policies was associated with reduced exposure to marketing and increased policy support. CONCLUSIONS: There is strong support among students to remove tobacco marketing from campus and to introduce comprehensive smoke-free restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: African American adolescents are at high risk of contracting sexually transmitted infection with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but which behavioral interventions to reduce risk are most effective and who should conduct them is not known.Objective: To evaluate the effects of abstinence and safer-sex HIV risk-reduction interventions on young inner-city African American adolescents' HIV sexual risk behaviors when implemented by adult facilitators as compared with peer cofacilitators.Design: Randomized controlled trial with 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up.Setting: Three middle schools serving low-income African American communities in Philadelphia, Pa.Participants: A total of 659 African American adolescents recruited for a Saturday program.Interventions: Based on cognitive-behavioral theories and elicitation research, interventions involved 8 1-hour modules implemented by adult facilitators or peer cofacilitators. Abstinence intervention stressed delaying sexual intercourse or reducing its frequency; safer-sex intervention stressed condom use; control intervention concerned health issues unrelated to sexual behavior.Main Outcome Measures: Self-reported sexual intercourse, condom use, and unprotected sexual intercourse.Results: Mean age of the enrollees was 11.8 years; 53% were female and 92.6% were still enrolled at 12 months. Abstinence intervention participants were less likely to report having sexual intercourse in the 3 months after intervention than were control group participants (12.5% vs 21.5%, P=.02), but not at 6- or 12-month follow-up (17.2% vs 22.7%, P=.14; 20.0% vs 23.1%, P=.42, respectively). Safer-sex intervention participants reported significantly more consistent condom use than did control group participants at 3 months (odds ratio [OR]=3.38; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.25-9.16) and higher frequency of condom use at all follow-ups. Among adolescents who reported sexual experience at baseline, the safer-sex intervention group reported less sexual intercourse in the previous 3 months at 6- and 12-month follow-up than did control and abstinence intervention (adjusted mean days over prior 3 months, 1.34 vs 3.77 and 3.03, respectively; P< or =.01 at 12- month follow-up) and less unprotected intercourse at all follow-ups than did control group (adjusted mean days, 0.04 vs 1.85, respectively, P<.001, at 12-month follow-up). There were no differences in intervention effects with adult facilitators as compared with peer cofacilitators.Conclusion: Both abstinence and safer-sex interventions can reduce HIV sexual risk behaviors, but safer-sex interventions may be especially effective with sexually experienced adolescents and may have longer-lasting effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To replicate findings that risk-minimizing and self-exempting beliefs lower quit intentions, and to extend this by testing their capacity to prospectively predict smoking cessation.Method: 13,324 adult (> or =18 years) cigarette smokers from the USA, Canada, UK, and Australia from one of the first three waves (2002-2004) of the International Tobacco Control 4-Country survey were employed for the predictive analysis where beliefs measured in one wave (1-3) of a cohort were used to predict cessation outcomes in the next wave (2-4).Results: Both types of belief were negatively associated with both intention to quit in the same wave and making a quit attempt at the next wave. When taken together and controlling for demographic factors, the risk-minimizing beliefs continued to be predictive, but the self-exempting belief was not. Some of the effects of risk-minimizing beliefs on quit attempts seem to be independent of intentions, but not consistently independent of other known predictors. There were no consistent predictive effects on sustained cessation among those who made attempts to quit for either measure.Conclusions: Countering risk-minimizing beliefs may facilitate increased quitting, but this may not be so important for self-exempting beliefs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: To evaluate how Scotland's smokefree law impacted self-reported secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in hospitality venues, workplaces and in people's homes. In addition, we examine changes in support for the law, pub and restaurant patronage, smoking cessation indicators and whether any observed changes varied by socioeconomic status. METHODS: A quasi-experimental longitudinal telephone survey of nationally representative samples of smokers and non-smokers interviewed before the Scottish law (February to March 2006) and 1 year later after the law (March 2007) in Scotland (n = 705 smokers and n = 417 non-smokers) and the rest of the UK (n = 1027 smokers and n = 447 non-smokers) where smoking in public places was not regulated at the time. RESULTS: Dramatic declines in the observance of smoking in pubs, restaurants and workplaces were found in Scotland relative to the rest of the UK. The change in the percent of smokers reporting a smokefree home and number of cigarettes smoked inside the home in the evening was comparable in Scotland and the rest of the UK. Support for smokefree policies increased to a greater extent in Scotland than in the rest of the UK. Self-reported frequency of going to pubs and restaurants was generally comparable between Scotland and the rest of the UK; however, non-smokers in Scotland were more likely to frequent pubs more often. No differences in smoking cessation indicators were observed between countries. CONCLUSION: The Scottish smokefree law has been successful in decreasing secondhand smoke exposure while causing none of the hypothesized negative outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIMS: To measure the prevalence and correlates of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) use for reasons other than quitting smoking among smokers in four countries. DESIGN AND SETTING: Population-based, cross-sectional telephone survey with nationally representative samples of adult smokers in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia, conducted in 2005. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 6532 adult daily smokers in Canada (n = 1660), the United States (n = 1664), the United Kingdom (n = 1617) and Australia (n = 1591). MEASUREMENTS: Survey questions included demographics, smoking behaviour, use of NRT and reasons for NRT use, as well as access and availability of NRT. FINDINGS: Approximately 17% of smokers surveyed had used NRT in the past year. Among NRT users, approximately one-third used NRT for a reason other than quitting smoking, including temporary abstinence or reducing the number of cigarettes smoked. The prevalence of non-standard NRT use was remarkably consistent across countries. Using NRT for reasons other than quitting was associated with higher education level, heavier smoking, having no quit intentions, having no past-year quit attempts, the type of NRT product used and accessing NRT without a prescription. CONCLUSIONS: The use of NRT for purposes other than quitting smoking is fairly common and may help to explain the difficulty in detecting significant quitting benefits associated with NRT use in population studies. Tobacco control policies, including the accessibility of NRT, may have important implications for patterns of NRT use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: On 28 June 2004, New York State (NY) became the first jurisdiction to require cigarettes to meet a reduced ignition propensity (RIP) standard. This law resulted in cigarette manufacturers modifying nearly all of their brands sold in NY. However, the same cigarette brands sold in other states were not modified to meet the RIP standard. OBJECTIVES: This paper examines relationships between the RIP law and smokers' awareness of changes in the performance of their cigarettes (that is, going out more frequently, change in taste), and smoking behaviour. METHODS: Data for this analysis come from a nationwide survey of 2088 adult smokers (> 18 years of age) conducted in the USA between July and December 2004. 143 of the smokers included in the survey were residents of NY while the remainder were from other states (n = 1945). Survey participants were asked whether their cigarettes 'ever go out between puffs' and whether they had noticed any change in the taste of their cigarettes in the past 12 months. RESULTS: NY smokers were three times more likely than smokers in other states to report that their cigarettes often went out between puffs (17.3% v 5.6%). However, NY smokers appeared no more likely to report noticing differences in cigarette taste, an intention to quit smoking, or to have made quit attempts. CONCLUSIONS: A significant minority of smokers in NY reported noticing changes in the performance of their cigarettes following the RIP law, as would be expected. However, the RIP law appears to have had no impact on the smoking habits of New Yorkers, countering arguments made by cigarette manufacturers that the law would impact consumer acceptability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVES: To test the theory of planned behavior as a model for predicting and understanding behavioral intentions for fighting among inner-city adolescents and to determine whether its predictive power differs as a function of ethnicity (African American versus Latino). METHODS: Participants were 956 (511 females, 445 males) African American (n = 702) and Latino (n = 254) adolescents (mean age = 12.72 years; SD = 1.12) recruited from sixth, seventh, and eighth grade classes in public middle schools serving two inner-city communities in New Jersey who completed self-administered, confidential questionnaires. RESULTS: Consistent with the theory of planned behavior, hierarchical multiple regression analyses revealed that attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control predicted intentions for fighting. Although the theory of planned behavior accounted for substantial variance in intentions to fight in both ethnic groups, it accounted for greater variance among Latinos than among African Americans. The strength of the relations of subjective norms and perceived behavioral control to intentions was similar in the two groups. but the relation of attitudes to intentions to fight was significantly stronger among Latinos. CONCLUSIONS: The findings strongly suggest that the theory of planned behavior provides a potentially useful conceptual framework for guiding the creation of interventions for African American and Latino adolescents that are designed to reduce violent behavior and the tragedies that such behavior leaves in its wake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]