title: Identifying Subgroups among Hardcore Smokers: a Latent Profile Approach.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hardcore smokers are smokers who have little to no intention to quit. Previous research suggests that there are distinct subgroups among hardcore smokers and that these subgroups vary in the perceived pros and cons of smoking and quitting. Identifying these subgroups could help to develop individualized messages for the group of hardcore smokers. In this study we therefore used the perceived pros and cons of smoking and quitting to identify profiles among hardcore smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  A sample of 510 hardcore smokers completed an online survey on the perceived pros and cons of smoking and quitting. We used these perceived pros and cons in a latent profile analysis to identify possible subgroups among hardcore smokers. To validate the profiles identified among hardcore smokers, we analysed data from a sample of 338 non-hardcore smokers in a similar way.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found three profiles among hardcore smokers. 'Receptive' hardcore smokers (36%) perceived many cons of smoking and many pros of quitting. 'Ambivalent' hardcore smokers (59%) were rather undecided towards quitting. 'Resistant' hardcore smokers (5%) saw few cons of smoking and few pros of quitting. Among non-hardcore smokers, we found similar groups of 'receptive' smokers (30%) and 'ambivalent' smokers (54%). However, a third group consisted of 'disengaged' smokers (16%), who saw few pros and cons of both smoking and quitting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Among hardcore smokers, we found three distinct profiles based on perceived pros and cons of smoking. This indicates that hardcore smokers are not a homogenous group. Each profile might require a different tobacco control approach. Our findings may help to develop individualized tobacco control messages for the particularly hard-to-reach group of hardcore smokers.
authors.affiliation: IVO Addiction Research Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Jeroen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bommelé
authors.affiliation: Trimbos Institute (Netherlands Institute of Mental Health and Addiction), Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Marloes
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kleinjan
authors.affiliation: IVO Addiction Research Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Tim M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Schoenmakers
authors.affiliation: Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Burk
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Social Sciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: van den Eijnden
authors.affiliation: IVO Addiction Research Institute, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Erasmus Medical Centre, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Department of Health Promotion, Maastricht University, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: Dike
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: van de Mheen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D012923:Social Class; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology