title: The effects of smoking abstinence on symptom burden and quality of life among persons living with HIV/AIDS.
abstract: Persons living with HIV/AIDS who are current smokers are more likely to develop disease-related adverse health outcomes compared to nonsmokers with HIV/AIDS. However, the impact of smoking cessation on health outcomes such as symptom status and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) has not yet been assessed within this population. This study examined the effects of changes in smoking status on HIV-related symptom burden and health-related quality of life outcomes in a multiethnic, low-income population of persons living with HIV/AIDS. Patients (n = 95) from a large, inner city HIV/AIDS clinic were enrolled in a smoking cessation trial providing nicotine replacement therapy, counseling, and self-help written materials. Biochemically verified smoking status, length of smoking abstinence, HIV-related symptom burden, and HRQOL were assessed approximately 3-months posttrial enrollment. A series of multiple linear regression models was performed to assess the associations between the smoking status variables and the health outcomes at follow-up while controlling for baseline levels. Length of smoking abstinence was significantly associated (p = 0.02) with HIV-related symptom burden. Specifically, increasing number of consecutive days of smoking abstinence during the 3-month follow-up period was associated with lower levels of HIV-related symptom burden at the time of follow-up. However, 24-hour smoking prevalence was not significantly (p > 0.05) associated with changes in either HIV-related symptom burden or HRQOL. These findings suggest that smoking cessation can significantly improve symptom burden for individuals living with HIV/AIDS. Moreover, these benefits are observable as early as 3 months after quitting and are positively correlated with the length of abstinence.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Department of Behavioral Science, Houston, Texas 77230-1439, USA. dvidrine@medanderson.org
authors.forename: Damon J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Vidrine
authors.forename: Roberto C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Arduino
authors.forename: Ellen R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Gritz
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011788:Quality of Life; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D013781:Texas; D014505:Urban Population