title: Prevalence of unassisted quit attempts in population-based studies: a systematic review of the literature.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The idea that most smokers quit without formal assistance is widely accepted, however, few studies have been referenced as evidence. The purpose of this study is to systematically review the literature to determine what proportion of adult smokers report attempting to quit unassisted in population-based studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  A four stage strategy was used to conduct a search of the literature including searching 9 electronic databases (PUBMED, MEDLINE (OVID) (1948-), EMBASE (1947-), CINAHL, ISI Web of Science with conference proceedings, PsycINFO (1806-), Scopus, Conference Papers Index, and Digital Dissertations), the gray literature, online forums and hand searches.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 26 population-based prevalence studies of unassisted quitting were identified, which presented data collected from 1986 through 2010, in 9 countries. Unassisted quit attempts ranged from a high of 95.3% in a study in Christchurch, New Zealand, between 1998 and 1999, to a low of 40.6% in a national Australian study conducted between 2008 and 2009. In 24 of the 26 studies reviewed, a majority of quit attempts were unassisted.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This systematic review demonstrates that a majority of quit attempts in population-based studies to date are unassisted. However, across and within countries over time, it appears that there is a trend toward lower prevalence of making quit attempts without reported assistance or intervention.
authors: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada. Electronic address: sarah.edwards@mail.utoronto.ca.
authors: Sarah A
authors: SA
authors: Edwards
authors: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada.
authors: Susan J
authors: SJ
authors: Bondy
authors: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada; Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada; Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, 33 Russell Street, Toronto, Ontario M5S 2S1, Canada.
authors: Russell C
authors: RC
authors: Callaghan
authors: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, 155 College Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T 3M7, Canada; Northern Medical Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada.
authors: Robert E
authors: RE
authors: Mann
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
keywords: Prevalence studies; Quitting; Smoking; Unassisted quit attempts