How Do Prompts for Attempts to Quit Smoking Relate to Method of Quitting and Quit Success?
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
How Do Prompts for Attempts to Quit Smoking Relate to Method of Quitting and Quit Success? Michael Ussher, Ph.D. & Jamie Brown, MSc. & Abirami Rajamanoharan, BSc. & Robert West, Ph.D.
Published online: 18 September 2013 # The Society of Behavioral Medicine 2013
Abstract Background Understanding how prompts for quit attempts relate to quitting methods and success may improve smoking cessation interventions. Purpose This study aims to establish whether prompts for quitting are associated with quitting method and success. Methods Using a cross-sectional design, 6,126 past-year smokers who had tried to quit in the last 12 months, were asked to identify prompts contributing to their most recent attempt. Results Attempts prompted by health professional advice were significantly more likely to involve use of treatments and gradual rather than abrupt cessation (odds ratios (ORs; 95 % confidence interval (CIs))=3.64 (3.14–4.22), 0.68 (0.59–0.78); respectively) but were not more likely to succeed. Attempts prompted by concern about current or future health, or cost, were more likely to succeed (OR (95 % CIs)= 1.79 (1.38–2.32), 1.25 (1.01–1.54), and 1.41 (1.13–1.76)). Conclusions Quit attempts prompted by health professional advice appear to be more likely to involve gradual reduction and use of treatments. Those prompted by health concerns and cost appear more likely to succeed. Keywords Smoking cessation . Smoking abstinence . Triggers . Prompts . Cessation method
Introduction Evidence from surveys suggests that the main reason smokers give for wanting to stop, in countries such as the USA and M. Ussher (*) : A. Rajamanoharan Division of Population Health Sciences and Education, St George’s University of London, Cranmer Terrace, London, UK e-mail: [email protected] J. Brown : R. West Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, UCL, Gower Street, London, UK
UK, is concern about health followed by cost and social concerns [1, 2]. There is also evidence that specific events, such as being advised to stop by a health professional or seeing an anti-smoking advertisement, can trigger quit attempts [3]. A significant gap in the literature concerns how different prompts that contribute to quit attempts influence the way those quit attempts are conducted and their ultimate success. This study addressed that gap. If some prompts to quitting are associated with a higher chance of success than others, it would make sense to focus on these in any interventions. An obvious example is advice from a health professional. It would be hoped that quit attempts that were prompted by such advice would be more likely to use one or more of the evidence-based methods of quitting (behavioural support and/or medication, such as nicotine replacement therapy) and as a result be more likely to succeed [4–7]. In the UK, health professionals are encouraged to recommend these treatments [8]. Considering evidence that shows gradual cigarette reduction is associated with lower success rates [9], it is
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