Internalized smoking stigma in relation to quit intentions, quit attempts, and current e-cigarette use

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Sociology
• Psychology

Background:

• Reducing smoking's social acceptability can lower prevalence but may increase smoking stigma.
• Smoking stigma can be more pronounced for individuals belonging to other stigmatized groups, like racial/ethnic minorities.
• This study investigates factors associated with smoking self-stigma, felt stigma, and discrimination among current smokers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the correlates of smoking self-stigma and felt stigma.
• To explore the relationship between smoking stigma and discrimination.
• To understand how these factors relate to smoking cessation behaviors and electronic cigarette use.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, web-based survey was administered to 1528 current cigarette smokers aged 14 and older in the United States.
• Measures included the Internalized Stigma of Smoking Inventory (ISSI), Heaviness of Smoking Index, quit intentions, past-year quit attempts, and current use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes).

Main Results:

• Greater self-stigma was linked to higher intentions to quit smoking in the next 6 months and 30 days, and more quit attempts in the past year.
• Felt stigma correlated with increased intent to quit within 30 days, past-year quit attempts, and both daily and some-day e-cigarette use.
• Reported discrimination was associated with a higher likelihood of daily e-cigarette use.

Conclusions:

• Increased feelings of stigmatization regarding smoking are associated with greater motivation to quit.
• Smokers experiencing self- and felt-stigma are more likely to have made recent quit attempts and intend to quit in the future.
• Stigma may also be related to the use of e-cigarettes as a cessation tool.