Factors Associated with Successful Smoking Cessation among Subjects Attending General Outpatient Clinics without History of Chronic Lung Disease

Abstract

Introduction: Cigarette smoking is the major cause of preventable death but the quit rate among smoker remains low. Health Care Professionals play an important role in offering smoking cessation when smokers using health care service. It is important to understand the predictors on the success of quitting smoking. This study was done to identify factors associated with successful quitting so that cessation programs could be tailored to those at highest risk for relapse. Method: This is a cross sectional survey of Chinese subjects (age≥ 30) with history of smoking, defined as persons who reported smoking at least 100 cigarettes during their lifetime (CDC criteria 2011) attending 5 Kwai-Tsing District general out-patient clinics (GOPC)from April to July 2014. We measured the tobacco use by the World Health Organization Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), respiratory symptoms by Breathlessness, Cough, and Sputum scale (BCSS) questionnaire, and the Health-related quality of life by SF6D questionnaire. We employed logistic regression analysis to compare demographic and other factors of current smokers with past smoker. Results: 731 subjects with mean age 62.2 ±11.7 (M: F = 12.3:1) were recruited into the study. 48.3% were current smoker while 51.7% were past smokers. Their accumulative year of smoking was 42.9±12.9 years. 25% subjects attended high school or above. 32% subjects worked full time. Factor associated with being past smoker (vs current smoker) were older age group [OR 1.072, p<0.001], no full time working [OR 1.72 p< 0.026], younger age of first smoking [OR 0.975, p = 0.044] being overweight [OR 1.934, p <0.001)] and with less significant pulmonary symptoms (by BCSS) [OR 0.740, p <0.001). Conclusion: The younger, working, normal or underweight smokers were more likely to keep their smoking habit, but they were also more likely to have respiratory symptoms.