SOCIOPSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATES OF MOTIVATION TO QUIT SMOKING AMONG LOW-SES AFRICAN-AMERICAN WOMEN

This article examines correlates of desire and plans to quit smoking a mong 248 young, low-socioeconomic status African American women, using variables derived from the health belief model (HBM) and the theory o f reasoned action. Consistent with these theoretical models, stronger concern about the effect of smoking on one's health and having close o thers who want the smoker to quit increased motivation to quit smoking . However, motivation was not associated with specific HEM components regarding lung cancer. Heavier smoking and stronger perceptions regard ing the functional utility of smoking decreased motivation to quit, bu t not as much as expected in this study population. Consistent with a process of change approach to smoking cessation, the factors that move d smokers from not planning to planning to ever quit were different fr om factors associated with further motivation level among the smokers who did plan to ever quit.