[Age of smoking initiation as predictor in smoking cessation].
OBJECTIVE
To determinate the relationship between the age of smoking initiation and the success of the smoking cessation program.


METHODS
Prospective cohort.


METHODS
Smoking Cessation Unit, in the University Hospital of Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain.


METHODS
2801 smokers of 10 or more cigarette per day, who started a smoking cessation program between January 1993 to December 2002.


METHODS
Kaplan-Meier method was used to obtain the probability of relapse. The log-rank test was used to determine relapse differences in time between groups of age at smoking initiation. Hazard ratios (HR) of quitting were estimated with a Cox model.


RESULTS
The mean age at smoking onset was 15.5+/-4.1 years for men and 17.7+/-5.4 years for women. The age of onset smoking was significant for relapse during smoking cessation in men with a HR=1.42 (95% CI, 1.09-1.86), and for women who started to smoke before 14 years old compared with the reference group a HR=1.25 (95% CI, 0.76-1.49).


CONCLUSIONS
This study shows that age of smoking onset predicts higher rates of relapse in a smoking cessation program in men. The low motivation for cessation was in both sex a significative factor for relapse and the low and high nicotine dependence were in women.
Flores Mateo
G
G
Unidad de Deshabituación Tabáquica, Servicio de Medicina Preventiva, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, España. 37722gfm@comb.es
Morchón Ramos
S
S
Masuet Aumatell
C
C
Carrillo Santisteve
P
P
Manchón Walsh
P
P
Ramon Torrell
J M
JM
D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012074:Remission Induction; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation