title: Unplanned attempts to quit smoking: missed opportunities for health promotion?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the occurrence, determinants and reported success of unplanned and planned attempts to quit smoking, and sources of support used in these attempts.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cross-sectional questionnaire survey of 3512 current and ex-smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-four general practices in Nottinghamshire, UK.
  
  
  METHODS
  Individuals who reported making a quit attempt within the last 6 months.
  
  
  METHODS
  Occurrence, triggers for, support used and success of planned and unplanned quit attempts.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1805 (51.4%) participants returned completed questionnaires, reporting 394 quit attempts made within the previous 6 months of which 37% were unplanned. Males were significantly more likely to make an unplanned quit attempt [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.60, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.04-2.46], but the occurrence of unplanned quit attempts did not differ significantly by socio-economic group or amount smoked. The most common triggers for unplanned quit attempts were advice from a general practitioner or health professional (27.9%) and health problems (24.5%). 5.4% and 4.1% of unplanned quit attempts used National Health Service cessation services on a one to one and group basis, respectively, and more than half (51.7%) were made without any support. Nevertheless, unplanned attempts were more likely to be reported to be successful (adjusted OR 2.01, 95% CI 1.23-3.27, P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Unplanned quit attempts are common among smokers in all socio-demographic groups, are triggered commonly by advice from a health professional and are more likely to succeed; however, the majority of these unplanned attempts are unsupported. It is important to develop methods of providing behavioural and/or pharmacological support for these attempts, and determine whether these increase cessation rates still further.
authors.affiliation: UK Centre for Tobacco Control Studies, Division of Epidemiology and Public Health, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK. rachael.murray@nottingham.ac.uk
authors.forename: Rachael L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Sarah A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Lewis
authors.forename: Timothy
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Coleman
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Britton
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: McNeill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003657:Decision Making; D004812:Epidemiologic Methods; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011314:Preventive Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D006113:United Kingdom