title: Relationship between smoking reduction and cessation among light smokers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To determine the smoking reduction patterns of light smokers (≤ 10 CPD) and whether reduction predicts future cessation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study is a secondary analysis of data that were derived from a 2 × 2 randomized study that assessed the efficacy of nicotine gum (vs. placebo) and counseling (motivational interviewing vs. health education) for smoking cessation among 755 light smokers. Participants were categorized into three groups based on self-reported CPD smoked at time of study enrollment compared with CPD smoked a year prior to enrollment. That is, (a) those who reduced number of cigarettes per day (CPD), (b) those who smoked the same number of CPD, and (c) those who increased their number of CPD. Sociodemographic and smoking characteristics were assessed at enrollment as well as cotinine-verified 7-day smoking abstinence rates at the Week 26 follow-up assessment. A stepwise logistic regression model to predict the probability abstinence at 26-week follow-up was also performed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with a year prior to enrollment, 43.7% of participants reduced, 35.2% smoked the same, and 21.2% increased their CPD. Compared with those who smoked the same or increased their CPD, those who had reduced their CPD were older, more likely to be males, smoked fewer CPD at enrollment, initiated smoking at a younger age, and less likely to be nicotine dependent. Adjusted logistic regression showed that those who had reduced their smoking prior to enrollment were more likely to quit at Week 26 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.77; 95% CI = 1.062-2.957; p = .029).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Findings suggest that reducing number of CPD smoked prior to enrolling in a clinical trial is a positive predictor of abstinence. Therefore, encouraging smoking reduction prior to attempting cessation may enhance cessation outcomes for light smokers.
authors.affiliation: University of Minnesota Medical School, 717 Delaware Street SE, Minneapolis, MN 55414, USA. kokuyemi@umn.edu
authors.forename: Kolawole S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Okuyemi
authors.forename: Janet L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Warren
authors.forename: Hongfei
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Jasjit S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Ahluwalia
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*