Alternatives for Targeting Women in Anti-Smoking Campaigns: Insights from a Smoking Perceived Value Perspective

Abstract

Although public anti-smoking campaigns have undoubtedly paid off, their scope has been rather limited. This paper aims to contribute to this debate and provide a theoretical foundation based on the perceptions of female smokers that could provide guidance for the planning and design of more effective anti-smoking campaigns. To attain this end, this study resorts to the concept of Perceived Value (PV). A scale of measurement was drawn up from the conceptualization of the Smoking PV (SPV) founded on a review of the specialized literature on smoking habits and an empirical study drawn from a sampling of female smokers. Results offer empirical evidence on the utility of the SPV both to improve our understanding of the perceived smoker experience and to predict intentions to quit smoking.