Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2018 Sep:84:167-170.
doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2018.04.008. Epub 2018 Apr 9.

Prevalence and characteristics of young adult smokers in the U.S. in the precontemplation stage of smoking cessation

Mary E Andrews  1 , Melanie Sabado  2 , Kelvin Choi  2
Affiliations

Prevalence and characteristics of young adult smokers in the U.S. in the precontemplation stage of smoking cessation

Mary E Andrews et al. Addict Behav. 2018 Sep.

Abstract

Introduction: The precontemplation stage of smoking cessation refers to having no intention to quit smoking in the next six months. We aimed to estimate the prevalence of and characteristics associated with the precontemplation stage of smoking cessation among U.S. young adult smokers to inform the development of targeted interventions.

Methods: We analyzed data in 2017 from the 2013-2014 National Adult Tobacco Survey. Young adult (18-29 years old) daily and non-daily smokers were included (n = 1809). We applied weighted multiple logistic regression models to examine the associations between demographics, tobacco use behaviors, exposure to pro- and anti-tobacco messages, and the precontemplation stage of smoking cessation.

Results: 59.0% of U.S. young adult smokers are in the precontemplation stage of smoking cessation. Unemployment was positively associated with being in the precontemplation stage of smoking cessation (AOR = 1.42 95% CI = 1.05, 1.91). Smoking every day (vs. some days), more cigarettes smoked per day, using roll-your-own cigarettes (vs. manufactured cigarettes only), currently smoking cigars, and signing up for promotional offers were positively associated with being in the precontemplation stage of smoking cessation (p < 0.05). Non-Hispanic Black was negatively associated with precontemplation stage (AOR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.27, 0.59). Not smoking after viewing a health warning on a cigarette pack was negatively associated with the precontemplation stage of smoking cessation (AOR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.25, 0.51).

Conclusions: Many U.S. young adult smokers classify as being in the precontemplation stage of smoking cessation. Interventions to motivate these smokers to quit smoking with considerations of their specific characteristics (e.g., being unemployed) are warranted.

Keywords: Cigarettes; Precontemplation; Smoking cessation; Transtheoretical Model; Young adults.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Declarations of interest: none

Conflict of Interest

No conflicts of interest were declared by the authors of this paper.

References

    1. Jha P, Ramasundarahettige C, Landsman V, et al. 21st-century hazards of smoking and benefits of cessation in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2013;368(4):341–350. - PubMed
    1. Thun MJ, Carter BD, Feskanich D, et al. 50-year trends in smoking-related mortality in the United States. N Engl J Med. 2013;368(4):351–364. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Doll R, Peto R, Boreham J, Sutherland I. Mortality in relation to smoking: 50 years’ observations on male British doctors. BMJ. 2004;328(7455):1519. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Pirie K, Peto R, Reeves GK, Green J, Beral V Million Women Study C. The 21st century hazards of smoking and benefits of stopping: a prospective study of one million women in the UK. Lancet. 2013;381(9861):133–141. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Babb S, Malarcher A, Schauer G, Asman K, Jamal A. Quitting Smoking Among Adults - United States, 2000–2015. Mmwr-Morbid Mortal W. 2017;65(52):1457–1464. - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms