The role of weight concern and self-efficacy in smoking cessation and weight gain among smokers in a clinic-based cessation program.
Although the majority of smokers are concerned about postcessation weight gain, few studies have investigated the prospective relationship between weight concern and smoking and weight outcomes, or a mechanism by which concern is related to these outcomes. We investigated the prospective role of smoking-specific weight concern in smoking cessation and weight gain among participants in a smoking-cessation clinic, and we hypothesized that domain-specific self-efficacy would be a mediator of these relationships. While weight concern did not prospectively predict smoking status, increased weight concern predicted weight gain at the end of treatment and at 3-month follow-up. Self-efficacy for preventing postcessation weight gain mediated this relationship; lower levels were related to a greater likelihood of weight gain. Weight gain was found to be associated with subsequent relapse among abstainers. Implications and treatment recommendations are discussed.
Borrelli
B
B
Division of Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, Brown University School of Medicine, Miriam Hospital. Belinda_Borrelli@Brown.edu
Mermelstein
R
R
D000328:Adult; D001828:Body Image; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005783:Gender Identity; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D020377:Self Efficacy; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D015430:Weight Gain