Gender differences in smoking cessation services received among veterans.
BACKGROUND
Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death among women in the United States. It is a particular problem for women using the Veterans Health Administration (VA), where the prevalence of smoking among women is 30%. We compared the baseline characteristics of male and female smokers and then assessed the smoking cessation services they received to determine whether there are important gender differences in care.


METHODS
As part of a study of implementing national guidelines for smoking cessation taking place at 18/23 VA centers in the southwestern and western United States, we conducted a baseline survey of a random sample of 1,941 smokers in primary care (129 women, 1,812 men) to assess the smoking cessation services received by female and male veterans. Subjects were followed 1 year later (73 women, 1007 men). Results for men and women were compared using chi-square tests and analysis of variance. Logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine factors that were independently associated with receipt of smoking cessation services.


RESULTS
Female smokers were younger, more educated, and less likely to be married than male smokers. Women were equally likely to report being advised to quit smoking or referred to a smoking cessation program but were much less likely to report receiving a prescription for nicotine patches (OR .5, 95% CI .3-.9). One year later, female smokers were less likely to have successfully quit smoking.


CONCLUSIONS
Women were less likely to report receiving nicotine patches for smoking cessation. Future interventions to increase use of smoking cessation medications for female smokers will also hopefully increase their quit rate.
Sherman
Scott E
SE
VA Center for the Study of Healthcare Provider Behavior, Sepulveda, California 91343, USA. ssherman@ucla.edu
Fu
Steven S
SS
Joseph
Anne M
AM
Lanto
Andrew B
AB
Yano
Elizabeth M
EM
D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D015206:Southwestern United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016387:Women's Health; D014932:Women's Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*