This article examines correlates of desire and plans to quit smoking among 248 young, low-socioeconomic status African American women, using variables derived from the health belief model (HBM) and the theory of reasoned action.

Consistent with these theoretical models, stronger concern about the effect of smoking on one's health and having close others who want the smoker to quit increased motivation to quit smoking.

However, motivation was not associated with specific HBM components regarding lung cancer.

Heavier smoking and stronger perceptions regarding the functional utility of smoking decreased motivation to quit, but not as much as expected in this study population.

Consistent with a process of change approach to smoking cessation, the factors that moved smokers from not planting to planning to ever quit were different from factors associated with further motivation level among the smokers who did plan to ever quit.