Biomaterial Database

Stigmatizing smokers: public sentiment toward cigarette smoking and its relationship to smoking behaviors. 2003

Sei-Hill Kim, and James Shanahan

Department of Communication Studies, Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556, USA. shkim@saintmarys.edu

Public sentiment in the United States has been evolving against cigarette smoking. Providing support for stronger tobacco control legislation, unfavorable public sentiment has contributed to the decrease in the size of the smoking population in this country. The present study hypothesizes that the unfavorable public sentiment may also discourage cigarette smoking by creating an unfavorable "smoking climate" in which smoking is socially rejected as a deviant behavior. Analyses of several secondary data-sets provided evidence that smoking rates are lower in the states where the public holds relatively unfavorable sentiment toward cigarette smoking. The relationship between public sentiment and smoking rates was significant even after controlling for the effects of state-level tobacco control measures, such as cigarette taxes and smoking restrictions in private workplaces and restaurants. We also found that smokers who have experienced unfavorable public sentiment are more willing to quit smoking than those who have not, supporting the hypothesized effects of antismoking public sentiment on smoking behaviors.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D011287	Prejudice	A preconceived judgment made without factual basis.	Anti-Semitism,Islamophobia,Anti Semitism,Anti-Semitisms,Islamophobias,Prejudices
D011639	Public Opinion	The attitude of a significant portion of a population toward any given proposition, based upon a measurable amount of factual evidence, and involving some degree of reflection, analysis, and reasoning.	Interest Groups,Pro-Choice Groups,Public Opinion Polls,Group, Interest,Group, Pro-Choice,Groups, Interest,Groups, Pro-Choice,Interest Group,Opinion Poll, Public,Opinion Polls, Public,Opinion, Public,Poll, Public Opinion,Polls, Public Opinion,Pro Choice Groups,Pro-Choice Group,Public Opinion Poll
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000074606	Smoking Prevention	Efforts directed at preventing SMOKING of TOBACCO and non-tobacco products.	Anti-Smoking Campaign,Anti-Smoking Education,Anti Smoking Campaign,Anti Smoking Education,Anti-Smoking Campaigns,Anti-Smoking Educations,Campaign, Anti-Smoking,Campaigns, Anti-Smoking,Education, Anti-Smoking,Prevention, Smoking,Preventions, Smoking,Smoking Preventions
D012907	Smoking	Willful or deliberate act of inhaling and exhaling SMOKE from burning substances or agents held by hand.	Smoking Behaviors,Smoking Habit,Behavior, Smoking,Behaviors, Smoking,Habit, Smoking,Habits, Smoking,Smoking Behavior,Smoking Habits
D012925	Social Conformity	Behavioral or attitudinal compliance with recognized social patterns or standards.	Conformity, Social,Conformities, Social,Social Conformities
D013219	State Government	The level of governmental organization and function below that of the national or country-wide government.	Government, State,Provincial Government,Government, Provincial,Governments, State,State Governments
D014481	United States	A country in NORTH AMERICA between CANADA and MEXICO.
D015438	Health Behavior	Combination of HEALTH KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES, PRACTICE which underlie actions taken by individuals regarding their health.	Health-Related Behavior,Behavior, Health,Behavior, Health-Related,Behaviors, Health,Behaviors, Health-Related,Health Behaviors,Health Related Behavior,Health-Related Behaviors
D016540	Smoking Cessation	Discontinuing the habit of SMOKING.	Giving Up Smoking,Quitting Smoking,Stopping Smoking,Cessation, Smoking,Smoking Cessations,Smoking, Giving Up,Smoking, Quitting,Smoking, Stopping,Smokings, Giving Up,Up Smoking, Giving