Table 1. Sample characteristics.
| Hardcore smokers (n = 510) | Non-hardcore smokers (n = 338) | Significance | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Demographics | |||
| Female, n (%) | 50.4 | 56.2 | NS |
| Age (SD) | 52.7 (7.2) | 51.6 (7.7) | p = .031 |
| Socioeconomic status (%) a | |||
| Low | 56.5 | 54.7 | NS |
| High | 43.5 | 45.3 | |
| Smoking History | |||
| Age of smoking onset (SD) | 16.3 (5.5) | 17.2 (4.9) | p = .021 |
| Years smoked in life (SD) b | 35.4 (8.4) | 31.2 (10.2) | p < .001 |
| Nicotine dependence | |||
| FTND (SD) | 5.3 (1.8) | 3.1 (2.4) | p < .001 |
| Cigarettes per day (SD) | 21.2 (6.6) | 11.1 (8.4) | p < .001 |
| Intention to quit (%) | |||
| Within 1 year | 11.6 | 23.4 | p < .001 |
| Within 5 years | 18.0 | 13.0 | |
| Not quitting, but smoking less | 32.4 | 34.6 | |
| Not quitting, not smoking less | 38.0 | 29.0 | |
| Smoking-related beliefs | |||
| Quitting self-efficacy (SD) c | 3.8 (1.1) | 4.2 (1.0) | p < .001 |
| Pros of smoking (SD) | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.3 (0.7) | p < .001 |
| Cons of smoking (SD) | 4.5 (0.8) | 4.4 (0.8) | p = .026 |
| Pros of quitting (SD) | 4.5 (0.8) | 4.5 (0.9) | NS |
| Cons of quitting (SD) | 3.5 (0.7) | 3.3 (0.7) | p < .001 |
a Socioeconomic status was measured as the highest completed education.
b Hardcore smokers had smoked > 15 years by definition.
c Higher scores indicate more quitting self-efficacy.