Table 4

Attitudes pre- and post-legislation, split by age group: for each question, percentages giving each response. N is the number of people in each age group.

Question
 Age Group
 N
 Period
 Response*
 Mean Shift
 U-1** p-value
 U-2*** p-value





1
 2
 3
 4
 5


A
 The ban on smoking will have (has had) a negative effect on business for public bars
 ≤30
 192
 Pre
 11
 31
 39
 17
 2
 0.90
 <0.001
 0.01




Post
 4
 14
 22
 43
 17




>30
 73
 Pre
 27
 44
 18
 11
 0
 1.27
 <0.001




Post
 5
 18
 23
 38
 15


B
 The smoking ban is an unfair restriction on smokers
 ≤30
 190
 Pre
 6
 13
 17
 41
 24
 0.14
 0.277
 0.018




Post
 4
 11
 18
 40
 27




>30
 73
 Pre
 29
 25
 15
 21
 11
 0.49
 0.026




Post
 14
 25
 14
 34
 14


C
 Fewer people will (now) visit public bars after (because of) the ban on smoking
 ≤30
 192
 Pre
 6
 31
 28
 30
 6
 0.63
 <0.001
 0.002




Post
 5
 9
 24
 44
 18




>30
 72
 Pre
 22
 33
 28
 15
 1
 1.19
 <0.001




Post
 6
 11
 15
 54
 14


D
 The smoking ban will make (has made) smokers smoke more at home
 ≤30
 192
 Pre
 13
 30
 33
 22
 2
 0.27
 0.007
 0.186




Post
 8
 18
 46
 25
 3




>30
 73
 Pre
 16
 41
 26
 14
 3
 0.45
 0.001




Post
 7
 18
 55
 19
 1


E
 The smoking ban will result (has resulted) in jobs being lost
 ≤30
 192
 Pre
 4
 15
 33
 42
 6
 0.40
 <0.001
 <0.001




Post
 3
 3
 31
 49
 15




>30
 73
 Pre
 19
 26
 38
 16
 0
 0.93
 <0.001




Post
 3
 8
 38
 42
 8







Response*







5
 4
 3
 2
 1


F
 Smoke free public bars will make (have made) visits to them more comfortable
 ≤30
 192
 Pre
 1
 9
 14
 29
 47
 0.14
 0.171
 0.145




Post
 2
 6
 10
 30
 53




>30
 73
 Pre
 3
 11
 19
 33
 34
 0.36
 0.044




Post
 0
 7
 15
 29
 49


G
 The smoking ban will encourage (has encouraged) smokers to quit
 ≤30
 192
 Pre
 1
 7
 19
 54
 20
 -0.34
 <0.001
 0.087




Post
 4
 10
 27
 49
 10




>30
 73
 Pre
 1
 11
 30
 44
 14
 -0.12
 0.472




Post
 1
 15
 26
 52
 5


H
 The smoking ban is (was) needed to protect the health of workers
 ≤30
 192
 Pre
 0
 7
 9
 41
 43
 0.00
 0.964
 0.257




Post
 2
 4
 10
 43
 41




>30
 73
 Pre
 1
 14
 22
 37
 26
 0.12
 0.358




Post
 3
 14
 11
 41
 32


I
 Do you agree with the proposed ban on smoking in public bars?
 ≤30
 192
 Pre
 5
 9
 13
 27
 47
 0.15
 0.313
 <0.001




Post
 4
 4
 10
 34
 48




>30
 71
 Pre
 24
 23
 1
 28
 24
 0.76
 0.002




Post
 8
 13
 10
 27
 42


*Response: 1-Strongly Agree, 2-Agree, 3-Undecided, 4-Disagree, 5-Strongly Disagree

** Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U-test of equal medians. Tests the change in attitude for each group.

*** Wilcoxon-Mann-Whitney U-test of equal medians. Tests the differences in change in attitude between groups.

Hilton et al. BMC Public Health 2007 7:206   doi:10.1186/1471-2458-7-206