Associations of Menthol Use with Motivation and Confidence to Quit Smoking

Objectives: To examine associations of menthol cigarette use with motivation and confidence to quit smoking, and potential moderation by race, among adult current smokers (N = 1067; 85% White, 15% Black). Methods: Regression analyses, adjusted for sociodemographics and tobacco dependence, examined associations of menthol use with motivation and confidence to quit smoking with and without an interaction term for race. Results: Main effects were not significant; however, there was a significant interaction for confidence to quit smoking (p = .02). Stratified analyses indicated that Black menthol users were more confident about quitting than Black non-menthol users (p = .01). Conclusions: Given their relatively lower quit rates as cited in previous literature, Black menthol users appear overly confident about their ability to quit smoking.