Cigarette Smoking Outcome Expectancies: A Study of University Students in India

Abstract

Globally smoking is increasing among younger age groups and also among women. Younger the person starts smoking, severe are the consequences. Young adults who have high smoking outcome expectancies (SOE) can be potential smokers who need to be identified. The present research attempts to measure SOE in the university students in India and analyse the gender differences. A SOE scale was created with only positive expected outcomes of smoking cigarette and administered to college and university students. The reason to include only positive expected outcomes of smoking was to see the level of inclination towards smoking without being offset by the negative outcomes. The psychometric properties of the SOE scale were studied.  Exploratory Factor Analysis was conducted along with correlation analysis. The sample of scholars studied had low SOE score indicating low outcome expectancy from smoking. There was no significant gender difference in SOE score.