Evaluation of the relationship between perception of tobacco packaging pictorial warnings and the nicotine addiction levels of smokers who admitted to smoking cessation clinic in Malatya, Turkey

Year 2019, Volume: 5 Issue: 1, 122 - 127, 04.01.2019

Seda Beyhan Sağmen , Mikail Özdemir

https://doi.org/10.18621/eurj.381904

Abstract

Objective: In this study, we aimed to investigate relationship
between perception of tobacco packaging pictorial warnings and the nicotine
addiction levels of smokers who admitted to smoking cessation clinic in
Malatya, Turkey.

Methods: Three hundred fifty-six patients were enrolled from
the Malatya State Hospital Smoking Cessation Clinic. The characteristics of the
patients, and number of cigarettes smoked were evaluated. The Fagerström test
for nicotine dependence was used. Fourteen of the best-known and most effective
pictorial health warnings on cigarette packages were shown and evaluated.

Results: The two best-known pictorial warnings in both male and female participants
were pictorial 6, “Smoke contains benzene, nitrosamines, formaldehyde, and
hydrogen cyanide” and pictorial 7, “Smoking causes fatal lung cancer”. The
third best-known pictorial warning for female was pictorial 4, “Smokers die
younger,” and for male it was pictorial 1, “Smoking may reduce blood flow and
causes impotence”. Female were most affected by pictorial 11, “Protect
children; don’t make them breathe your smoke’’, and male were most affected
bypictorial 1, “Smoking may reduce blood flow and causes impotence” (p < 0.043 and p = 0.01, respectively). Fagerström scores compared with pictures
mostly known and affected by participants, the highest and lowest scores
belongs to same pictures; the highest Fagerström score was 8.29 ± 2.14 for best
known and 8.25 ± 2.19 for most affected picture is number 2; the lowest
Fagerström score was 6.46 ± 2.55 for best known and 6.56 ± 2.68 for most
affected picture is number 3.

Conclusion: The
effect of pictures about the decision to quit smoking may be investigated by a
qualitative study especially for pictures 1, 2, 4, 6, 7, and 11. 

Keywords

pictorial health warnings, smoking cessation, cigarette, tobacco

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