Perceptions about cigarette smoking and risks among college students.
The objective of the present study was to describe how college students perceive the risks of cigarette smoking and addiction to nicotine. Data came from a self-administered survey of 1,020 college students enrolled in two 4-year liberal arts colleges in the United States. The survey was conducted in the fall of 2001. Smokers and nonsmokers differed markedly in their perceptions about the health risks associated with short-term exposure to smoking. College students in this sample who smoked did not fully comprehend the risks associated with smoking. Smokers were half as likely as nonsmokers to believe that there are health risks from smoking only on weekends or a couple of days a week. Anti-tobacco messages for young adult smokers need to communicate more effectively the concept that each cigarette they smoke is doing them damage.
Murphy-Hoefer
Rebecca
R
Office on Smoking and Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA 30341, USA. rmurphy1@cdc.gov
Alder
Stephen
S
Higbee
Cheryl
C
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016739:Behavior, Addictive / Q000523:psychology*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009518:New York; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors
D009538:Nicotine