Information seeking in the context of cigarette smoking: predictors from the Comprehensive Model of Information Seeking (CMIS)

ABSTRACT

Background: The CMIS indicates that key variables in actively obtaining information on cigarette smoking are demographics, direct experience, salience, and beliefs, which affects subsequent evaluations and utility of information.

Method: Cross-sectional data were drawn from the HINTS-FDA 2015 national survey in which a stratified random sample of the U.S. postal addresses (N = 3,738) self-administered a mailed paper questionnaire. Path analysis was conducted to test the CMIS.

Results: Age, income, education, sexual orientation, beliefs about behavior change, and salience are significant predictors of perceived utility of information.Direct predictors of information seeking on health effects are comprehension of information (β = .06, 95% CI: .02-.09, p < .05), trust in information sources (β = .23, 95% CI: .18-.276, p < .01), and confidence in obtaining information (β = .10, 95% CI: .047-.160, p < .05). The final model produced fit indices of c² = 356.48, df = 24, CFI = .91, RMSEA = .061 (95% CI: .055-.067), R² = .098.

Conclusions: The CMIS is a valid theoretical framework in predicting information seeking on cigarette smoking. This study closes a gap in the literature by addressing key factors simultaneously that influence information seeking on health effects and cessation of cigarette smoking.

KEYWORDS:

• Health information seeking
• CMIS
• trust in information sources
• quality of information
• perceived utility of information
• smoking

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.