Aspiring to physical health: the role of aspirations for physical health in facilitating long-term tobacco abstinence.
OBJECTIVE
To assess aspirations for physical health over 18 months. To examine whether maintained importance of aspirations for physical health mediated and/or moderated the effect of an intensive intervention on long-term tobacco abstinence.


METHODS
Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention based on self-determination theory or to community care, and provided data at baseline and at 18 and 30 months post-randomization.


RESULTS
Aspirations for physical health were better maintained over 18 months among participants in the intervention (mean change=.05), relative to community care (mean change=-.13), t=2.66, p<.01. Maintained importance of aspirations for physical health partially mediated the treatment condition effects on seven-day point prevalence tobacco abstinence (z'=1.68, p<.01) and the longest number of days not smoking (z'=2.16, p<.01), and interacted with treatment condition to facilitate the longest number of days not smoking (beta=.08, p<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Maintained importance of aspirations for physical health facilitated tobacco abstinence.


CONCLUSIONS
Smokers may benefit from discussing aspirations for physical health within autonomy-supportive interventions. Patients may benefit from discussing aspirations during counseling about therapeutic lifestyle change and medication use.
Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, United States. niemiec@psych.rochester.edu
Christopher P
CP
Niemiec
Richard M
RM
Ryan
Edward L
EL
Deci
Geoffrey C
GC
Williams
D001240:Aspirations, Psychological; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006040:Goals; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D016015:Logistic Models; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010358:Patient Participation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology*; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011582:Psychological Theory; D012648:Self Care / Q000523:psychology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires