Are perceived benefits of HTPs consumption aiding smoking cessation?

Abstract

The tobacco industry has been facing several transformations considering that technology has evolved and health concerns have increased. Taking advantage of this trend, Philip Morris International (PMI) introduced IQOS in Portugal, converting several smokers to their heat-not-burn technology. Few independent studies have focused on the consumption of heated tobacco, both in terms of the motivations behind its consumption and the perceptions of its dangerousness. Therefore, this research's main objective is to identify and understand whether or not heated tobacco products are perceived as a smoking cessation product. This study explores the perception of heated tobacco consumption among Portuguese smokers and ex-smokers using one of the models identified in the literature review: The Health Belief Model (HBM). A conceptual model was developed based on its constructs and tested using data obtained through an online survey, that resulted in 247 valid answers. Data were analysed using the SPSS and SmartPLS programs. Results suggest that the perceived benefits of heated tobacco consumption have a reverse influence on the likelihood to quit smoking. Perceived threats of smoking (perceived Susceptibility and perceived Severity) were not considered reliable variables. From a practical point of view, the results indicate that heated tobacco products do not work as an auxiliary product in the intention to quit smoking, being, in some cases, an influential factor in the increase of smoking dependence.

Date of Award	8 Jul 2021
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Susana Silva (Supervisor) & Paulo Alexandre de Oliveira Duarte (Co-Supervisor)