Motivation for change and the pros and cons of smoking in a Spanish population

Decisional balance and the stage of change have been used to understand the motivation for giving up the habit of smoking. The objective of this study was to find out whether the associations between the pros and the cons of smoking, taking into account the magnitude and delay parameters, and stages of change, can be demonstrated in a sample of Spanish smokers and ex-smokers using a cross-sectional design. The results are compared with the patterns of pros and cons of smoking found in samples of American, Swiss and Dutch smokers. The data confirms that amongst Spanish smokers it is also in the stages of contemplation and preparation that the crossover in the valuation of the pros and cons of smoking takes place: the cons hold more weight than the pros. On the other hand, unexpectedly, the pros of smoking are more highly valued in the stages of action and maintenance than in the rest of the stages.