Tobacco endgame policies: an analysis of preferred strategies and support levels in a sample from Qatar

TL;DR

This study explores preferences and support for tobacco endgame policies in Qatar, revealing differences based on sex and tobacco use status.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into the interactive association of sex and tobacco use status with policy support in the Middle East.

Findings

Males and current users prefer standardized packages, while females prefer nicotine reduction.

Never users prefer tax increases, import bans, and flavor bans.

Never and past users show higher support for tobacco endgame policies than current users.

Abstract

There is limited evidence on preferences for tobacco endgame policies and support levels for them in the Middle East. Further, no studies on the interactive association of sex and tobacco use status with support levels exist to date.

To examine preferred tobacco endgame strategies and levels of support in a Qatari sample.

A convenience sample of adults (N = 372; 73.3% females) completed a cross sectional survey. Preferences for strategies were assessed by demographic variables using chi-square tests and levels of support were compared by sex and tobacco use status while adjusting for other factors using bootstrapped regression.

Males and current tobacco users prefer standardized packages, females prefer nicotine reduction policies, and never tobacco users prefer tax increases, import bans, bans for minors and adults, and flavor bans. Never and past tobacco users reported higher tobacco endgame support relative to current tobacco users. Further, males who never used tobacco or used it in the past reported higher tobacco endgame support than male current users.

High tobacco endgame support level and preferences for a wide range of tobacco endgame policies might be promising indicators for embracing them, especially among never tobacco users and males that do not currently use tobacco in Qatar.