Ramzi G Salloum1, Christine W Abbyad2, Racquel E Kohler3, Allison K Kratka4, Leighanne Oh5, Kathryn A Wood6. 1. Department of Health Services Policy and Management, Arnold School of Public Health, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC; rsalloum@sc.edu. 2. Hariri School of Nursing, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon; 3. Department of Health Policy and Management, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC; 4. School of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, NC; 5. Department of Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC; 6. School of Nursing, Duke University, Durham, NC.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: Smoking prevalence rates in Lebanon are among the highest in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Few smoking cessation programs are offered in Lebanon and little is known about the preferences of Lebanese smokers for cessation treatment programs. OBJECTIVE: To establish which attributes of smoking cessation programs are most important to Lebanese smokers. METHODS: Smokers at the American University of Beirut were surveyed to elicit their preferences for, and tradeoffs between the attributes of a hypothetical university-based smoking cessation program. Preferences for medication type/mechanism, risk of benign side effects, availability of support, distance traveled to obtain medication, and price of complete treatment were assessed using the discrete choice experiment method. RESULTS: The smokers' responses (N = 191) to changes in attributes were statistically significant. Smokers were willing to make trade-offs between attributes. On average, smokers were willing to pay LBP 103,000 (USD 69) for cessation support. Respondents were willing to give up LBP 105,000 (USD 70) to avoid an additional 10% risk of minor side effects and LBP 18,000 (USD 12) to avoid an addition kilometer of travel to the nearest pharmacy. Heavy smokers were the least responsive group and had the lowest demand elasticities. CONCLUSIONS: Student smokers were willing to participate in a relatively complex exercise that weighs the advantages and disadvantages of a hypothetical smoking cessation program. Overall they were less interested in the pill form of smoking cessation treatment, but they were willing to make tradeoffs to be smoke-free.
INTRODUCTION: Smoking prevalence rates in Lebanon are among the highest in the Eastern Mediterranean region. Few smoking cessation programs are offered in Lebanon and little is known about the preferences of Lebanese smokers for cessation treatment programs. OBJECTIVE: To establish which attributes of smoking cessation programs are most important to Lebanese smokers. METHODS: Smokers at the American University of Beirut were surveyed to elicit their preferences for, and tradeoffs between the attributes of a hypothetical university-based smoking cessation program. Preferences for medication type/mechanism, risk of benign side effects, availability of support, distance traveled to obtain medication, and price of complete treatment were assessed using the discrete choice experiment method. RESULTS: The smokers' responses (N = 191) to changes in attributes were statistically significant. Smokers were willing to make trade-offs between attributes. On average, smokers were willing to pay LBP 103,000 (USD 69) for cessation support. Respondents were willing to give up LBP 105,000 (USD 70) to avoid an additional 10% risk of minor side effects and LBP 18,000 (USD 12) to avoid an addition kilometer of travel to the nearest pharmacy. Heavy smokers were the least responsive group and had the lowest demand elasticities. CONCLUSIONS: Student smokers were willing to participate in a relatively complex exercise that weighs the advantages and disadvantages of a hypothetical smoking cessation program. Overall they were less interested in the pill form of smoking cessation treatment, but they were willing to make tradeoffs to be smoke-free.
Authors: Ramzi G Salloum; Rima T Nakkash; Allison E Myers; Kathryn A Wood; Kurt M Ribisl Journal: BMC Public Health Date: 2013-06-03 Impact factor: 3.295
Authors: Ramzi G Salloum; Wasim Maziak; David Hammond; Rima Nakkash; Farahnaz Islam; Xi Cheng; James F Thrasher Journal: BMJ Open Date: 2015-09-09 Impact factor: 2.692