Knowledge, attitudes and beliefs of African American smokers about using medication for smoking cessation

The Theory of Planned Behavior was used as a framework to construct a measure that identified significant beliefs that are related to intention to use smoking cessation aides in an African American sample. Beliefs that were related to intention were that cessation aides were efficacious, worked by reducing cravings and did not have negative side effects. All normative referents were also significantly related to intention to use cessation aides. The beliefs that one must have access to a doctor and taking medications as prescribed were also significantly related to intention to use cessation aides. This was one of the first studies to use a theoretical basis to examine intentions to use cessation aides in an African American population.