Identifying Subgroups among Hardcore Smokers: a Latent Profile Approach

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Hardcore smokers lack quitting intention, but may comprise distinct subgroups.
• Understanding these subgroups is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
• Perceived pros and cons of smoking/quitting vary among smokers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify distinct profiles among hardcore smokers using latent profile analysis.
• To analyze the perceived pros and cons of smoking and quitting.
• To validate identified profiles by comparing with non-hardcore smokers.

Main Methods:

• Online survey of 510 hardcore smokers on perceived pros/cons of smoking and quitting.
• Latent profile analysis to identify subgroups within hardcore smokers.
• Validation using data from 338 non-hardcore smokers.

Main Results:

• Three hardcore smoker profiles emerged: 'Receptive' (36%), 'Ambivalent' (59%), and 'Resistant' (5%).
• 'Receptive' smokers saw many quitting pros; 'Ambivalent' were undecided; 'Resistant' saw few quitting pros.
• Non-hardcore smokers included 'receptive' (30%), 'ambivalent' (54%), and 'disengaged' (16%) profiles.

Conclusions:

• Hardcore smokers are heterogeneous, not a monolithic group.
• Distinct profiles necessitate tailored tobacco control approaches.
• Findings support individualized messaging for hard-to-reach smokers.