title: [Who gives up smoking? Results from the health surveys in Finnmark in 1977/78 and 1987/88].
abstract: In order to develop effective smoking cessation programmes, it is important to understand why people stop smoking. This study is based on data from two population-based health surveys carried out in the northernmost county of Norway in 1977-78 and 1987-88. 6,254 men and 6,404 women smokers participated in the survey. For both surveys questionnaires were used to collect information on smoking habits, sociodemographic variables, various diseases, symptoms, health related behaviours, and social network. Ten years later 19.3% of the men and 16.0% of the women had stopped smoking. The primary factors for giving up were: a short history of smoking, older age, having non-smoking family and friends, and acquiring a smoking related disease during the period. Health promoting behaviours, such as low consumption of coffee, alcohol, butter and margarine, also increased the chances of giving up smoking. Developing smoking related symptoms, such as a morning cough, or coughing up mucus in the mornings, predicted continuous smoking. Future health promotion programmes should be targeted at young smokers and persons with smoking related diseases; and efforts should probably be directed towards lifestyle with the aim of modifying general attitudes to health.
authors.affiliation: Den offentlige tannhelsetjenesten, Levanger.
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Abildsnes
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Søgaard
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hafstad
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009664:Norway; D010551:Personality; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors
vernacular_title: Hvem stumper røyken? Resultater fra helseundersøkelsene i Finnmark i 1977/78 og 1987/88.