Motivation to Quit Smoking Among Black Adults Residing in Los Angeles County Communities With Menthol Cigarette Sales Restrictions

Abstract

Background: Research is needed to identify the determinants of motivation to quit smoking among non-Hispanic Black (NHB) adults who smoke menthol cigarettes and reside in communities covered by menthol cigarette bans. Objectives: This study examined the associations between motivation to quit smoking and a range of individual-level predictors, including measures of demographics, harm/risk perception of menthol cigarettes, and awareness of a ban on menthol cigarettes in Los Angeles County unincorporated communities. Self-identified NHB adults who currently smoke menthol cigarettes (N=50; M=47.2 years; SD=13.7; 46% female) were recruited in Los Angeles County unincorporated communities. Participants completed an interviewer-administered cross-sectional survey between January to September 2021. Results: Participants (74%) reported an annual household income of less than $25,000. Participants’ mean age at cigarette initiation was 15.7 years old (SD=5.68). Most (88%) were aware of the ordinance banning menthol cigarette sales. Employing multivariable linear regression analysis, harm/risk perception of menthol cigarettes (B=14.69, p<0.01) and awareness of the local menthol ban (B=26.18, p<0.05) were found to be independently associated with motivation to quit smoking. Conclusions: Findings from this community-based sample suggest that among NHB adults who smoke menthol cigarettes, motivation to quit smoking is influenced by their perception of menthol cigarettes as harmful and awareness of local policy banning the sale of menthol cigarettes. Findings underscore the need for community-centered and culturally grounded interventions to facilitate quitting among NHB adults who smoke in order for communities covered by menthol bans to achieve health equity in reducing preventable racial inequities due to menthol cigarettes.

Keywords:

• Menthol cigarettes
• motivation to quit
• harm perception
• Los Angeles County
• sales restrictions
• non-Hispanic Black

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the contributions of the community organizations that participated in the recruitment of study participants. We also want to thank our study participants for their time and for sharing their insights on this topic.

Institutional review board statement

Study questionnaires and materials were reviewed and approved by the University of Southern California Institutional Review Board (UP-20-00975).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by grant number [T31IP5502A; PI: Smiley] from the University of California Tobacco-Related Disease Research Program (TRDRP). The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the TRDRP