Discrete choice experiment of smoking cessation behaviour in Japan.
BACKGROUND
In spite of gradual increases in tobacco price and the introduction of laws supporting various anti-tobacco measures, the proportion of smokers in Japan's population is still higher than in other developed nations.


OBJECTIVE
To understand what information and individual characteristics drive smokers to attempt to quit smoking. These determinants will help to realise effective tobacco control policy as a base for understanding of cessation behaviour.


METHODS
Discrete choice experiments on a total of 616 respondents registered at a consumer monitoring investigative company.


RESULTS
The effect of price is greater on smokers with lower nicotine dependence. For smokers of moderate and low dependency, short term health risks and health risks caused by passive smoking have a strong impact, though the existence of penalties and long term health risks have little influence on smokers' decisions to quit. For highly dependent smokers, non-price attributes have little impact. Furthermore, the effects of age, sex and knowledge are also not uniform in accounting for smoking cessation.


CONCLUSIONS
Determinants of smoking cessation vary among levels of nicotine dependency. Therefore, how and what information is provided needs to be carefully considered when counselling smokers to help them to quit.
Goto
Rei
R
Faculty of Economics, Konan University, Kobe, Japan.
Nishimura
Shuzo
S
Ida
Takanori
T
D000328:Adult; D002755:Choice Behavior; D003365:Costs and Cost Analysis / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology / Q000534:rehabilitation