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Intentions to Quit Smoking: Causal Attribution, Perceived Illness Severity, and Event-Related Fear During an Acute Health Event

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  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

Experiencing a serious consequence related to one’s health behavior may motivate behavior change.

Purpose

This study sought to examine how causal attribution, perceived illness severity, and fear secondary to an acute health event relate to intentions to quit smoking.

Methods

Using a cross-sectional survey design, adult emergency department patients who smoked provided demographic data and ratings of nicotine dependence, causal attribution, perceived illness severity, event-related fear, and intentions to quit smoking.

Results

A linear regression analysis was used to examine the relations between the independent variables and quit intentions. We enrolled 186 participants. After adjusting for nicotine dependence, smoking-related causal attribution and event-related fear were associated with intentions to quit (β = 0.26, p < 0.01 and β = 0.21, p < 0.01, respectively). Perceived illness severity was correlated with event-related fear (r = 0.46, p < 0.001) but was not associated with intentions to quit (β = −0.08, p = 0.32).

Conclusion

While causal attribution and event-related fear were modestly associated with quit intentions, perceived illness severity was not. Longitudinal studies are needed to better explicate the relation between these variables and behavior change milestones.

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Acknowledgment

This study was performed while Edwin Boudreaux, Ph.D., was affiliated with the Department of Emergency Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ and Erin O’Hea, Ph.D., was affiliated with LaSalle University Department of Psychology, Philadelphia, PA.

Conflict of Interest Statement

The authors have no conflict of interest to disclose.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lakeshore Avenue, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA

    Edwin D. Boudreaux Ph.D.

  2. Department of Psychiatry, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 55 Lakeshore Avenue, Worcester, MA, 01655, USA

    Edwin D. Boudreaux Ph.D. & Douglas M. Ziedonis M.D, M.P.H

  3. Department of Psychology, LaSalle University, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Simon Moon Ph.D.

  4. Department of Emergency Medicine, UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School and Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ, USA

    Brigitte M. Baumann M.D, M.S.C.E

  5. Department of Emergency Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Carlos A. Camargo Jr. M.D, Dr.P.H

  6. Department of Psychology, Stonehill College, Easton, MA, USA

    Erin O’Hea Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Edwin D. Boudreaux Ph.D.
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  2. Simon Moon Ph.D.
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  3. Brigitte M. Baumann M.D, M.S.C.E
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  4. Carlos A. Camargo Jr. M.D, Dr.P.H
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  5. Erin O’Hea Ph.D.
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  6. Douglas M. Ziedonis M.D, M.P.H
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Edwin D. Boudreaux Ph.D..

Additional information

Funding Support

This study was supported by a NIH/NIDA K23 Research Career Award (K23DA16698).

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Boudreaux, E.D., Moon, S., Baumann, B.M. et al. Intentions to Quit Smoking: Causal Attribution, Perceived Illness Severity, and Event-Related Fear During an Acute Health Event. ann. behav. med. 40, 350–355 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-010-9227-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-010-9227-z

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