| Abstract: | ![]()
OBJECTIVE: To analyze psychological morbidity as a moderator of the relationship betweensmoking representations and quality of life in smokers and former smokers,as well as to determine which psychological variables discriminate betweensmokers with and without the intention to quit smoking. METHODS: This was a quantitative, correlational cross-sectional study involving aconvenience sample of 224 smokers and 169 former smokers. RESULTS: In smokers and former smokers, psychological morbidity had a moderatingeffect on the relationship between mental/physical quality of life andsmoking representations (cognitive representations, emotionalrepresentations, and comprehensibility). Smokers with the intention to quitsmoking more often presented with low comprehensibility, threateningemotional representations, behavioral beliefs, and perceived behavioralcontrol, as well as with normative/control beliefs, than did those withoutthe intention to quit. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study underscore the importance of the moderating effectexerted by psychological morbidity, as well as that of sociocognitivevariables, among smokers who have the intention to quit smoking. |
