Effects of Abstinence Self-Efficacy and Outcome Expectancies of Tobacco Smoking on the Desire to Quit Among Saudi Women: A Cross-Sectional Mediation Analysis

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Smoking is one of the major preventable causes of morbidity and mortality and has been associated with numerous illnesses. While smoking is increasing among Saudi women, the characteristics of smoking behavior related to abstinence self-efficacy, which is a belief regarding one's ability to successfully resist performing a behavior, and outcome expectancies, meaning the anticipated consequences of performing a behavior, are unknown. Therefore, this study aimed to test whether abstinence self-efficacy mediated the relationship between tobacco smoking outcome expectancies and the desire to quit tobacco among Saudi women who smoke.