A latent class typology of young women smokers

Aims  Despite aggressive anti-smoking campaigns, smoking rates are increasing among young women, suggesting the need for new approaches to reach this population. Segmenting audiences can facilitate targeting interventions to specific populations, based on association of smoking behaviors with other health behaviors and psychological and social antecedents. Using latent class analysis, we sought to profile patterns of behavioral, attitudinal and cognitive variables related to tobacco use among young women. Design  This study is part of an ongoing Midwestern longitudinal self-report survey of the natural history of cigarette smoking. Participants  Participants were 18–25-year-old women smokers (n = 443). Measurements  Variables included a comprehensive range of demographic characteristics, smoking-related variables and general attitudinal variables. Findings  Three distinct classes emerged with the following characteristics: (1) working women who tended to smoke daily but reported high levels of positive affect and life satisfaction (n = 212); (2) light-smoking college students who exercised regularly, began smoking after high school and quit successfully at follow-up 5 years later (n = 86); and (3) heavy smokers who were more likely to have children, report high levels of negative affect and smoke for addictive reasons, for stimulation and to control affect (n = 145). Differences in smoking cessation at a 5-year follow-up were significant across the classes (18.1%, 34.4% and 13.0% had quit for at least 6 months, respectively). Conclusions  The psychosocial and behavioral profiles of these classes can potentially be used to tailor smoking interventions more effectively within this population.