title: The association between implicit and explicit attitudes toward smoking and support for tobacco control measures.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study examined the association between implicit and explicit attitudes toward smoking and support for tobacco control policies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants were from an ongoing longitudinal study of the natural history of smoking who also completed a web-based assessment of implicit attitudes toward smoking (N = 1,337). Multiple regression was used to test the association between covariates (sex, age, educational attainment, parent status, and smoking status), implicit attitude toward smoking, and explicit attitude toward smoking and support for tobacco control policies. The moderating effect of the covariates on the relation between attitudes and support for policies was also tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Females, those with higher educational attainment, parents, and nonsmokers expressed more support for tobacco control policy measures. For nonsmokers, only explicit attitude was significantly associated with support for policies. For smokers, both explicit and implicit attitudes were significantly associated with support. The effect of explicit attitude was stronger for those with lower educational attainment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both explicit and implicit smoking attitudes are important for building support for tobacco control policies, particularly among smokers. More research is needed on how to influence explicit and implicit attitudes to inform policy advocacy campaigns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Health Science, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. jtmacy@indiana.edu
authors.forename: Jonathan T
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: Macy
authors.forename: Laurie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chassin
authors.forename: Clark C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Presson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001290:Attitude; D003625:Data Collection; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015146:Midwestern United States; D010290:Parents; D012907:Smoking / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*