The importance of cigarette design and marketing elements on perception of reduced harm among current cigarette smokers, Eurobarometer 385 (V.77.1) survey, February–March 2012 (n=6896)
| Menthol flavour | Other tastes/flavours, such as a spicy, sweet or fruity flavour | The shape and size of a cigarette | The shape or texture of the pack | The light colour of the pack | Cigarettes labelled as ‘organic’ or ‘natural’ | Specific terms in the brand's name, such as ‘silver’ or ‘blue’ | Tar, nicotine and carbon monoxide levels | Cigarettes without additives | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Characteristic | AOR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) | AOR (95% CI) |
| Sex | |||||||||
| Male (referent) | |||||||||
| Female | 1.27 (0.90 to 1.77) | 0.81 (0.51 to 1.28) | 1.08 (0.81 to 1.43) | 1.38 (0.84 to 2.27) | 1.21 (0.95 to 1.54) | 1.14 (0.87 to 1.50) | 0.78 (0.62 to 0.99)* | 1.00 (0.86 to 1.16) | 0.92 (0.74 to 1.16) |
| Socioeconomic status | |||||||||
| Lower (referent) | |||||||||
| Middle | 0.95 (0.58 to 1.55) | 1.02 (0.53 to 1.96) | 0.89 (0.59 to 1.32) | 0.70 (0.33 to 1.47) | 0.76 (0.55 to 1.06) | 0.71 (0.49 to 1.02) | 1.09 (0.78 to 1.51) | 1.08 (0.87 to 1.35) | 0.99 (0.72 to 1.36) |
| Upper | 0.99 (0.62 to 1.57) | 0.87 (0.46 to 1.66) | 0.76 (0.52 to 1.11) | 0.68 (0.34 to 1.38) | 0.71 (0.51 to 0.98)* | 0.54 (0.37 to 0.77)* | 1.40 (1.02 to 1.92)* | 0.94 (0.76 to 1.16) | 0.77 (0.56 to 1.05) |
| Type of residence | |||||||||
| Urban (referent) | 1.11 (0.77 to 1.59) | 1.28 (0.81 to 2.04) | 1.19 (0.88 to 1.61) | 1.09 (0.66 to 1.78) | 0.92 (0.71 to 1.20) | 1.03 (0.77 to 1.39) | 0.88 (0.68 to 1.13) | 0.91 (0.78 to 1.07) | 0.82 (0.64 to 1.04) |
| Rural | |||||||||
| Region in the EU | |||||||||
| Western Europe (referent) | |||||||||
| Southern Europe | 0.36 (0.20 to 0.67)* | 0.58 (0.28 to 1.22) | 0.62 (0.38 to 1.02) | 0.49 (0.20 to 1.25) | 0.69 (0.46 to 1.03) | 1.05 (0.72 to 1.51) | 0.97 (0.69 to 1.38) | 1.00 (0.81 to 1.23) | 0.55 (0.41 to 0.73)* |
| Northern Europe | 2.09 (1.31 to 3.33)* | 0.62 (0.29 to 1.32) | 0.41 (0.21 to 0.81)* | 0.86 (0.32 to 2.34) | 0.77 (0.51 to 1.18) | 0.77 (0.47 to 1.26) | 0.43 (0.28 to 0.66)* | 0.90 (0.71 to 1.15) | 0.27 (0.19 to 0.40)* |
| Eastern Europe | 1.43 (0.94 to 2.17) | 1.75 (1.01 to 3.03)* | 2.77 (1.94 to 3.95)* | 2.25 (1.26 to 4.05)* | 2.19 (1.62 to 2.96)* | 0.94 (0.67 to 1.32) | 1.52 (1.14 to 2.02)* | 1.39 (1.14 to 1.68)* | 0.41 (0.31 to 0.54)* |
| Age, years | |||||||||
| 15–24 (referent) | |||||||||
| 25–39 | 0.57 (0.35 to 0.94)* | 0.80 (0.41 to 1.53) | 0.43 (0.28 to 0.66)* | 1.21 (0.54 to 2.68) | 0.97 (0.65 to 1.45) | 0.66 (0.45 to 0.98)* | 0.79 (0.54 to 1.15) | 0.73 (0.57 to 0.93)* | 0.95 (0.66 to 1.35) |
| 40–54 | 0.52 (0.31 to 0.88)* | 0.56 (0.27 to 1.17) | 0.48 (0.29 to 0.78)* | 1.59 (0.77 to 3.28) | 1.14 (0.75 to 1.73) | 0.48 (0.33 to 0.72)* | 0.91 (0.61 to 1.34) | 0.84 (0.65 to 1.08) | 0.77 (0.52 to 1.12) |
| ≥55 | 0.40 (0.22 to 0.71)* | 0.65 (0.29 to 1.44) | 0.49 (0.31 to 0.76)* | 2.03 (0.95 to 4.34) | 0.97 (0.62 to 1.51) | 0.53 (0.34 to 0.83)* | 0.69 (0.45 to 1.06) | 0.81 (0.62 to 1.05) | 0.76 (0.52 to 1.13) |
| Age at initiation of regular smoking, years | |||||||||
| <15 | |||||||||
| 15–18 | 1.45 (0.87 to 2.38) | 0.75 (0.40 to 1.43) | 1.01 (0.60 to 1.70) | 0.95 (0.41 to 2.21) | 1.02 (0.71 to 1.48) | 1.06 (0.71 to 1.59) | 1.26 (0.87 to 1.82) | 1.11 (0.89 to 1.39) | 1.32 (0.96 to 1.82) |
| 19–25 | 2.12 (1.19 to 3.77)* | 0.63 (0.31 to 1.27) | 1.07 (0.62 to 1.85) | 0.97 (0.38 to 2.48) | 0.75 (0.49 to 1.15) | 1.39 (0.88 to 2.18) | 0.83 (0.54 to 1.27) | 1.11 (0.87 to 1.43) | 1.30 (0.89 to 1.89) |
| >25 | 4.56 (2.09 to 9.95)* | 1.14 (0.35 to 3.69) | 1.04 (0.46 to 2.36) | 1.16 (0.26 to 5.26) | 0.74 (0.42 to 1.32) | 0.79 (0.31 to 1.98) | 1.16 (0.62 to 2.18) | 0.97 (0.64 to 1.45) | 1.18 (0.62 to 2.25) |
Multivariate-adjusted models adjusted for all characteristics listed in the table.
*Statistically significant AORs (p<0.05).
AOR, adjusted OR; EU, European Union.