Register for email alerts and news feeds:
This journal | BMJ Group
rss
Tobacco Control 2000;9:364-371; doi:10.1136/tc.9.4.364
Copyright © 2000 by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.
Tob Control 2000;9:364-371 ( Winter )

Heterogeneity among smokers and non-smokers in attitudes and behaviour regarding smoking and smoking restrictions

Blake D Polanda, Joanna E Cohena, Mary J Ashleya, Ed Adlafb, Roberta Ferrencec, Linda L Pedersond, Shelley B Bulle, Dennis Raphaelf

a Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto, and Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, b Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, c Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto, and Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto, d Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine, Moorehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, USA, e Ontario Tobacco Research Unit, Centre for Health Promotion, University of Toronto, and Samuel Lunenfeld Research Institute, Mount Sinai Hospital, Toronto, f Department of Public Health Sciences, University of Toronto

Correspondence to: Professor Blake Poland, Department of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, McMurrich Building, 12 Queen's Park Crescent West, Toronto, Ontario M5S 1A8, Canada; blake.poland{at}utoronto.ca

Received 8 October 1999; Revision received 19 May 2000; Accepted 1 June 2000

OBJECTIVE---To determine if smokers and non-smokers cluster into meaningful, discrete subgroups with distinguishable attitudes and behaviours regarding smoking and smoking restrictions.
DESIGN---Qualitative research with 45 smokers guided development of questionnaire items applied in a population based telephone survey of 432 current smokers and 1332 non-smokers in Ontario, Canada.
METHODS---Cluster analysis of questionnaire items used to categorise adult smokers and non-smokers; comparison of clusters on sociodemographic characteristics and composite knowledge and attitude scores.
RESULTS---Smokers clustered in three groups. "Reluctant" smokers (16%) show more concern about other people discovering that they smoke, but parallel "easygoing" smokers (42%) in supporting restrictions on smoking and not smoking around others. "Adamant" smokers (42%) feel restrictions have gone too far, and are less likely to accommodate non-smokers. Significant gradients across categories in the expected direction were observed with respect to smoking status, stage of change, knowledge, and attitude scores, and predicted compliance with restrictions, validating the proposed typology. Non-smokers also clustered into three groups, of which the "adamant" non-smokers (45%) are the least favourably disposed to smoking. "Unempowered" non-smokers (34%) also oppose smoking, but tend not to act on it. "Laissez-faire" non-smokers (21%) are less opposed to smoking in both attitude and behaviour. A significant gradient across categories in the expected direction was observed with respect to composite scores regarding knowledge of the health effects of active and passive smoking and a composite score on support for restrictions on smoking in public places.
CONCLUSION---Recognition and consideration of the types of smokers and non-smokers in the population and their distinguishing characteristics could inform the development of tobacco control policies and programmes and suggest strategies to assist implementation.


Keywords: smokers; non-smokers; attitudes; smoking restrictions; typology; cluster

© 2000 by Tobacco Control
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Complore Complore   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us   Add to Digg Digg   Add to Reddit Reddit   Add to Technorati Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

  • Lazuras, L, Eiser, J R, Rodafinos, A (2009). Predicting smokers' non-compliance with smoking restrictions in public places. Tobacco Control 18: 127-131 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Park, J-G, Park, J W, Kim, D-W, Seo, H-G, Nam, B-H, Lee, J S, Choi, J C, Kim, I S, Boyle, P (2008). Factors influencing attitudes to legislation banning the manufacture and sale of tobacco products. Tobacco Control 17: 142-143 [Full Text]  
  • Victoir, A., Eertmans, A, Van den Broucke, S, Van den Bergh, O (2006). Smoking status moderates the contribution of social-cognitive and environmental determinants to adolescents' smoking intentions. Health Educ Res 21: 674-687 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Pilkington, P. A., Gray, S., Gilmore, A. B., Daykin, N. (2006). Attitudes towards second hand smoke amongst a highly exposed workforce: survey of London casino workers. J Public Health (Oxf) 28: 104-110 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
  • Hennrikus, D, Pentel, P R, Sandell, S D (2003). Preferences and practices among renters regarding smoking restrictions in apartment buildings. Tobacco Control 12: 189-194 [Abstract] [Full Text]  

This Article

Services
Citing Articles
Google Scholar
PubMed
Bookmark with

Register for free content

The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.

BMJ Careers