前人研究僅限於探討健康風險認知與吸菸傾向決策,或與吸菸量間之關係,本文則建立一個包括風險認知、吸菸傾向及消費量決策的聯立方程式模型,企圖探討三者間之相互影響程度。文中我們採用肺癌風險值及菸害知識指標等兩種風險認知變數設定,並利用作者們在1995年之台灣成年男性調查資料進行實証。結果發現:台灣男子之健康風險認知之形成方式符合Viscusi (1985) 所提出的貝氏學習過程。在風險認知程度上,吸菸者之風險認知很明顯較非吸菸者為低外,吸菸量較重的人其之風險認知程度亦明顯較輕度吸菸者為低。此外,除了風險認知會影響吸菸決策外,消費量的多寡亦與風險認知程度互相影響。我們亦發現,影響台灣香菸消費行為之主要因素為消費者本身的主觀風險認知程度、年齡與教育等社會經濟變數、個人過去的經驗、以及公共資訊的變數等;至於香菸的價格與消費者的所得等經濟變數在橫斷面分析時並不重要。最後,實證設定之兩種風險認知變數對香菸消費均呈顯著的負向影響。我們認為在未來之反菸宣傳上,除肺癌風險文宣外,宜從加強各種菸害知識的報導著手,以增加民眾對各種菸害風險之認知,進而有助於抑制香菸之需求。
This paper investigates the relationship between health risk perception, cigarette smoking status, and quantity of cigarettes consumed using a simultaneous equation system. This departs from previous studies which relate health risk perception with either the cigarette smoking status or quantity of cigarette consumption only. The study is based on data we collected in a 1995 survey. The sample is representative of Taiwan's male population. Two health risk indicators are used, namely, the health knowledge index of Kenkel (1991) and the lung cancer risk of Viscusi. We find that smokers' health risk perception has a negative impact on smoking status, and it also negatively affects the quantity of cigarettes consumed. In addition, the empirical results suggest that the health risk formation process of a male Taiwanese is consistent with the Bayesian learning model of Viscusi (1985).