Purpose: It is important to focus on various characteristics of people to promote measures for quitting-smoking. Using the Health Belief Model, we here investigated social and psychological factors related to willingness to cease smoking among factory-workers in the northern part of Kyoto Prefecture.
Method: From October to November 2001, the 810 subjects were surveyed about their smoking behavior and related factors using an unsigned self-administered questionnaire. Among the 534 respondents, we performed logistic regression analysis, considering 7 factors ((1) age, (2) susceptibility, (3) seriousness, (4) benefits, (5) barriers, (6) mass-media and (7) advice from others) as independent variables and interest in smoking cessation as a dependent variable. Four comparisons ((1) "no interest" vs "precontemplation or contemplation", (2) "no interest" vs "precontemplation", (3) "no interest" vs "contemplation", (4) "precontemplation" vs "contemplation") were conducted for 239 males who were current smokers at the time of the survey.
Results: Acceptance of the benefits of smoking cessation showed a significant positive association with willingness to quit smoking, with Ors for comparisons of "no interest" vs "preconemplation or contemplation", "no interest" vs "precontemplation", and "no interest" vs "contemplation" (odds ratios (95%CI) of 3.06 (1.76-5.31), 2.78 (1.58-4.90), 4.41 (1.75-11.15), respectively). Acceptance of the seriousness of health hazards from smoking had a significant positive association with the willingness to quit (odds ratio (95%CI) was 1.88 (1.02-3.46)).
Conclusion: It is can be concluded that it is useful to enhance subjective recognition of the benefits of not-smoking and the seriousness of the harm caused by smoking, to increase the level of willingness of quitting from "no interest" to "precontemplation" or "contemplation".