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.
Niemiec
Christopher P
CP
Department of Clinical and Social Sciences in Psychology, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, United States. niemiec@psych.rochester.edu
Ryan
Richard M
RM
Deci
Edward L
EL
Williams
Geoffrey C
GC
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