Smoking status and attitudes towards preventive structural measures after participation in the Smoke-Free Class Competition in Switzerland

Abstract

Aim: To document differences in the smoking status and attitudes towards preventive structural measures (e.g. price increases) between 15 to 25-year-olds who had completed the Swiss Smoke-Free Class Competition (SFC) an average of five years ago or whose class had to pull out and never-participants.Method: Data collected in representative surveys in 2012 and 2014 was merged (n = 2669). Logistic regressions were used to examine group differences in smoking status and attitudes towards preventive structural measures adjusted for common confounders. Interaction effects were also tested.Results: Daily smoking was lower among respondents whose class had completed the competition than among never-participants (OR = 0.7; CI = 0.5–0.9; p < 0.01). No significant differences were observed for those who did not finish the competition, for occasional and former smoking and for attitudes towards preventive structural measures. The relationship between respondents from classes that had to pull out of the competition and daily smoking was moderated by gender (OR = 0.4; CI = 0.2–0.8; p < 0.01), indicating that gender differences are not reflected in those who dropped out.Conclusion: Past participation in the SFC is related to subsequent lower daily smoking in 15 to 25-year-olds. However, participation in the SFC was not associated with a higher acceptance of preventive structural measures.