Association between perceived harm of tobacco and intention to quit: a cross-sectional analysis of

Tran et al. BMC Public Health (2022) 22:909

https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-022-13348-w

RESEARCH

Association between perceived

harm of tobacco and intention to quit:

a cross-sectional analysis of the Vietnam Global

Adult Tobacco Survey

Thi Phuong Thao Tran1,2, Jinju Park1

, Thi Ngoc Phuong Nguyen2

, Van Minh Hoang2 and Min Kyung Lim1,3*

Abstract

Background: Perception of harm plays an important role in predicting intention to quit—an integral part of the

cessation process. Perception on harm from bamboo waterpipe tobacco was unknown, even the predominant of

this type of tobacco use. This study investigated the efects of perceived harm from cigarette and bamboo waterpipe

tobacco on intention to quit among adult male Vietnamese tobacco users.

Methods: From the nationally-representative 2015 Global Adult Tobacco Survey, we included 1,351 adult males

(≥18 years old) who used cigarettes, bamboo waterpipes, or both. Demographic characteristics, tobacco use behav￾iors, perceived harm from tobacco use, and regulation/policy exposure were measured. Efects of perceived harm

from cigarette and bamboo waterpipe tobacco on intention to quit were assessed by logistic regression.

Results: Intention to quit prevalence was 59.0%, 55.0%, and 58.4% for cigarette, waterpipe, and dual users, respec￾tively. Tobacco users who perceived that “using cigarettes and/or waterpipe could cause severe illness” and “waterpipe

use is less harmful than cigarette smoking”, had tobacco use bans at home, or were exposed to anti-smoking cam￾paigns or encouragement to quit information were more likely to intend to quit. When analyzed by tobacco users,

intention to quit was more likely for those users who perceived their tobacco product as more harmful than the other

product type, although statistical signifcance was only observed for cigarette users.

Conclusions: Misperceptions regarding harm from tobacco use could negatively afect intention to quit. Dissemina￾tion of accurate information on the risks from all forms of tobacco use and enforcement of tobacco control policies

are important for encouraging intention to quit.

Keywords: Bamboo waterpipe tobacco, Intention to quit, Perceived harm, Vietnam

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Introduction

Despite the predominant form of cigarettes among vari￾ous tobacco types all over the world, waterpipe use also

signifcantly contributed to the growing share of tobacco

use globally. Te global prevalence of waterpipe use that

ranges from 5 to 34%, with higher estimates in rural

Western Pacifc and Eastern Mediterranean regions and

increasing use among youths and adolescents in Euro￾pean countries [1]. Although bamboo waterpipe use

Open Access

*Correspondence: [email protected]

3

College of Medicine, Inha University, 100 Inha-ro, Michuhol-gu,

Incheon 22212, Republic of Korea

Full list of author information is available at the end of the article