Table 4.
Variable* |
"Lights" smokers (mean score, 95% CI) (n = 247) |
Regular smokers (mean score, 95% CI) (n = 910) |
Differences in mean scores (Test of significance) |
Heaviness of smoking index (alternate version) | 0.42 (0.06 – 0.79) | 1.17 (0.98 – 1.37) | 0.75, p < 0.001 |
Awareness of smoking harm (7-item scale) (α = 0.69) | 0.53 (0.46 – 0.60) | 0.47 (0.43 – 0.51) | 0.06, p = 0.138 |
Smoking has affected health and quality of life (2-item scale) (α = 0.68) | 1.99 (1.84 – 2.14) | 2.04 (1.98 – 2.11) | -0.05, p = 0.521 |
Concern that smoking will lower health and quality of life in the future (2-item scale) (α = 0.78) | 2.44 (2.28 – 2.61) | 2.43 (2.35 – 2.51) | 0.01, p = 0.889 |
Self-exempting beliefs (3-item scale, high score means stronger such beliefs) (α = 0.60) | 2.88 (2.76 – 3.00) | 3.02 (2.95 – 3.09) | -0.14, p = 0.043 |
Intention of quitting (4-point scale, based on questions in Table 3) | 1.21 (1.07 – 1.35) | 1.11 (1.02 – 1.19) | 0.09, p = 0.225 |
Self-efficacy for quitting (4-point scale) | 2.82 (2.57 – 3.06) | 2.50 (2.39 – 2.61) | 0.32, p = 0.022 |
Overall attitude to smoking (5-point scale, high score is more positive) | 2.40 (2.27 – 2.54) | 2.46 (2.39 – 2.53) | -0.06, p = 0.433 |
Attitude to regulation index (2-item index, high score is favourable toward regulation) (α = 0.51) | 3.26 (3.13 – 3.40) | 3.58 (3.29 – 3.43) | -0.32, p = 0.221 |
* For more details of index composition and development, see an online Methods Report [30]. Alpha (α) scores are for Cronbach's alpha (see Methods).