title: An historical perspective on health-risk awareness and unhealthy behaviour: cigarette smoking in the United States 1949-1981.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper investigates the change through time in the perception of smoking-related health harm and smoking behaviour from 1949 to 1981.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  A variety of common behaviours can be linked to chronic disease risk-smoking, over-eating, and excessive sitting, to name a few. Changing behaviours to reduce exposure to such risks can be an effort that spans generations and decades.
  
  
  METHODS
  Respondents to Gallup Poll surveys in the United States from 1949, 1954, 1957, 1971, 1972, 1977 and 1981.
  
  
  METHODS
  Graphical analysis and probit regression are used to investigate trends through time and statistical associations of smoking with the perception of smoking-related health risks and other socio-demographic variables.
  Perceived smoking health risk.
  
  
  METHODS
  Smoking participation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our findings include the proportions of individuals who were self-reported smokers fell between 1949 and 1981, from 0.48 to 0.34. Among smokers, the proportion who believed smoking was harmful increased from 0.52 in 1949 to 0.81 in 1981. By 1981, the proportion of non-smokers who believed smoking was harmful was 0.98. A negative association between belief in smoking harm and the decision to smoke was shown in regression analysis. This association became more pronounced over the three decades under study.
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: Andrew J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Leidner
authors.affiliation: Department of Agricultural Economics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.
authors.forename: W Douglass
authors.initials: WD
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.affiliation: STY Health Econometrics, Knoxville, TN, USA.
authors.forename: Steven T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Yen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000266:history / Q000523:psychology; D013660:Taxes; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000191:economics; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
keywords: cigarette smoking; gallup poll data; health-risk perception; probit regression