Do men outperform women in smoking cessation trials? Maybe, but not by much.
Using data from 4 smoking cessation trials conducted from 1988 to 2000, the authors investigated whether men are more successful than women in quitting smoking. Odds ratios indicated that the abstinence rates were not significantly different for men and women. Thus, there may be little value to diverting research funds from efforts to develop more effective treatments for both men and women to efforts to explain a very small gender effect associated with existing treatments. However, it may be appropriate to make gender comparisons for new therapies for nicotine dependence. The authors recommend against analyses of gender differences in studies that do not account for gender in their research designs.
Killen
Joel D
JD
Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, Palo Alto, California 94304-1885, USA. jkillen@stanford.edu
Fortmann
Stephen P
SP
Varady
Ann
A
Kraemer
Helena C
HC
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D003863:Depression / Q000523:psychology; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009538:Nicotine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012907:Smoking / Q000628:therapy; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine