title: Defining "smoker": college student attitudes and related smoking characteristics.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Less than half of college students who have smoked in the past month identify themselves as smokers. Thus, we examined (a) how college students define the term "smoker" and (b) how this definition impacts smoking behavior and attitudes.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted 12 focus groups with a total of 73 college student smokers drawn from survey participants at two colleges in Minnesota (a two-year technical college and a four-year university). Each group was homogenous in terms of gender and school (two-year, four-year).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The majority (56.2%) were female, 49.3% attended a 2-year college, and 32.9% were regular smokers (smoked > or = 25 of the last 30 days). Participants described a "smoker" in terms of (a) smoking frequency, ranging from smoking infrequently to smoking daily; (b) contextual factors, such that smoking alone indicates being a smoker rather than smoking at parties; (c) time since initiation; (d) whether one purchases cigarettes, such that "smokers" buy cigarettes while nonsmokers borrow them; (e) addiction and being able to quit without great effort; (f) whether smoking is habitual; and (g) personality and physical characteristic. These beliefs had implications on experiences in quitting smoking, motivation to quit, and perceived barriers. Many participants indicated confidence in being able to quit but believed that they were not "smokers" and thus did not need to quit.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  College students use a broad range of criteria to define who is a smoker. These criteria impact how motivated students are to quit smoking and their perception of needing to "quit smoking."
authors.affiliation: Department of Behavioral Sciences and Health Education, Emory University Rollins School of Public Health, 1518 Clifton Road NE, 5th Floor, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. cjberg@emory.edu
authors.forename: Carla J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Berg
authors.forename: Pratibha P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Parelkar
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lessard
authors.forename: Cam
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Escoffery
authors.forename: Michelle C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Kegler
authors.forename: Kymberle L
authors.initials: KL
authors.lastname: Sterling
authors.forename: Jasjit S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahluwalia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D010379:Peer Group; D012307:Risk Factors; D012649:Self Concept; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012938:Social Perception; D013334:Students / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D014495:Universities / Q000458:organization & administration; D055815:Young Adult