Factors Affecting Continuation of Smoking by Pregnant and Nonpregnant Women

ABSTRACT

The objective of this study was to test a framework based upon the value and the probability of outcomes related to smoking. Over a 2-week period, 80 women were asked to perform judgments of value and probability of the outcome for smoking-related consequences. Subgroups were formed by the two variables of pregnancy and intent to quit smoking. Judgments were performed given the conditions of quitting and not quitting smoking. The intent to quit or not quit smoking had an impact on expected utility of smoking. Moreover, there was a difference between expected utility given the conditions of not quitting smoking and quitting smoking. A framework based upon values and beliefs appears to be useful in describing the addictive behavior of smoking and can be applied in developing smoking-cessation education.

KEYWORDS:

• Beliefs
• intent
• pregnancy
• smoking
• values

The authors would like to thank Professor Lennart Sjöberg, Head of the Center for Risk Research at Stockholm School of Economics, for financial and invaluable intellectual support in performing the study. The authors also owe thanks to Daniela Kolarova, Bulgaria, for data collecting and computer work.

Notes

∗Variables: pregnancy/nonpregnancy, quitting/nonquitting smoking, and assessment days.

∗Variables: pregnancy/nonpregnancy, quitting/nonquitting smoking, and assessment days.