Time preferences, socioeconomic status and smokers' behaviour, attitudes and risk awareness

Patrick Peretti-Watel (), Olivier L’haridon () and Valerie Seror ()
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Patrick Peretti-Watel: SESSTIM - U912 INSERM - Aix Marseille Univ - IRD - Sciences Economiques et Sociales de la Santé & Traitement de l'Information Médicale - IRD - Institut de Recherche pour le Développement - AMU - Aix Marseille Université - INSERM - Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale
Olivier L’haridon: CREM - Centre de recherche en économie et management - UNICAEN - Université de Caen Normandie - NU - Normandie Université - UR - Université de Rennes - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique
Authors registered in the RePEc Author Service: Olivier L'Haridon

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Abstract: Background: Tobacco control policies have succeeded in reducing tobacco use, but the negative correlation between smoking prevalence and socioeconomic status (SES) has increased. This study focused on the relationships between time preferences, SES, and smoking behaviour, attitudes and risk awareness. Methods: A cross-sectional telephone survey was conducted in France in 2008 on a representative national sample of people aged 18-75 (N = 2000, including 621 smokers) years. Two scales measuring planning horizon and impulsivity and various indicators of SES were introduced into the logistic regressions performed on smoking status and smokers' attitudes to anti-smoking campaigns, quitting attempts, attempts to quit or smoke less, fear of smoking-related cancer and risk perception. Results: Indicators of lower SES and smoking status were correlated with present time orientation and impulsivity. On modelling smoking status, time orientation and lower SES were found to be significant predictors. Among smokers, lower SES and present time orientation were predictive of smoking-related outcomes: little personal concern with anti-tobacco campaigns, not reporting recent behavioural changes, not expressing personal fear of smoking-related cancer and low risk awareness. When time-related preferences were introduced into the analysis, the effects of several lower SES indicators (especially a low educational level) became non-significant. Conclusion: The relationship between SES and smoking behaviour, attitudes and beliefs may be partly mediated by time preferences. Time preference is strongly correlated with smoking status, risk perceptions and attitudes towards anti-smoking campaigns. Tobacco control policies should include messages targeting present time-oriented smokers and/or interventions designed to enhance more future-oriented attitudes among smokers.

Keywords: Tobacco; time preferences; risk aversion (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2013
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (16)

Published in European Journal of Public Health, 2013, 23 (5), pp.783-788. ⟨10.1093/eurpub/cks189⟩

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-00801330

DOI: 10.1093/eurpub/cks189

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