Title: Attitudes toward smoking among college students in Poland and the USA

Authors: Elzbieta Lepkowska-White; Amy L. Parsons; Joanna Białkowska

Addresses: International Affairs, Department of Management and Business, Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866-1632, USA. ' Department of Business and Management, McGowan School of Business, King's College, Wilkes-Barre, PA 18711, USA. ' Department of Medical Studies, Warmińsko-Mazurski University Hospital, Rehabilitation in Hospital, ul. Michała Oczapowskiego 2, Olsztyn, Poland

Abstract: In this article we analyse attitudes about smoking and motivations to smoke among college students in the USA and Poland. To provide the context for this discussion we first discuss historical changes in the economic, business, and legal environments in both countries since World War II. We follow with an empirical test of attitudes towards smoking and motivations to smoke using a survey distributed to 192 undergraduate students in the two countries. The results show that in both countries young people view smoking more negatively now than they did in the past, probably in response to the changing macro-environment. Overall motivations to smoke among young consumers in these two countries are similar, but differences exist and are explored in this study.

Keywords: attitudes towards smoking; motivations to smoke; Poland; USA; undergraduate students; healthcare; United States; young consumers.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBHR.2012.045620

International Journal of Behavioural and Healthcare Research, 2012 Vol.3 No.1, pp.55 - 69

Published online: 20 Aug 2014 *

Full-text access for editors Full-text access for subscribers Purchase this article Comment on this article