title: Individual change amid stable smoking patterns in polydrug users over 3 years.
abstract: The pattern of stability/change in smoking status was examined annually in 254 community-dwelling polydrug users over 3 years. Respondents' smoking status was classified as nonsmoker, intermittent smoker, or "everyday" smoker. Results showed that the typical probability of retaining the same smoking status across any two consecutive assessments was: 0.77 for nonsmokers (never smokers and former smokers combined), 0.82 for everyday smokers, and 0.16 for intermittent smokers. The transition matrix proved stable across three observations; the predicted equilibrium distribution matched well with observed distributions. Fifty-five percent of intermittent smokers converted to everyday smoking within a year, but 29% converted to former-smoker status in the same period. No other transition exceeded 12%. Considerable flux in individual smoking status, particularly among intermittent smokers, was observed despite stable prevalence of smoking status in this population. Intermittent smoking status appeared to be a temporary "way station" between the two more stable everyday smoker and nonsmoker classifications. Results challenge current assumptions about "occasional" or "chipper" smokers.
authors.affiliation: UCLA Drug Abuse Research Center, Los Angeles, CA USA. wmccarth@ucla.edu
authors.forename: W J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Y I
authors.initials: YI
authors.lastname: Hser
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D019966:Substance-Related Disorders / Q000523:psychology*