title: Prospective cohort study of the effectiveness of smoking cessation treatments used in the "real world".
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To estimate the "real-world" effectiveness of commonly used aids to smoking cessation in England by using longitudinal data.
  
  
  METHODS
  We conducted a prospective cohort study in 1560 adult smokers who participated in an English national household survey in the period from November 2006 to March 2012, responded to a 6-month follow-up survey, and made at least 1 quit attempt between the 2 measurements. The quitting method was classified as follows: (1) prescription medication (nicotine replacement therapy [NRT], bupropion, or varenicline) in combination with specialist behavioral support delivered by a National Health Service Stop Smoking Service; (2) prescription medication with brief advice; (3) NRT bought over the counter; (4) none of these. The primary outcome measure was self-reported abstinence up to the time of the 6-month follow-up survey, adjusted for key potential confounders including cigarette dependence.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with smokers using none of the cessation aids, the adjusted odds of remaining abstinent up to the time of the 6-month follow-up survey were 2.58 (95% CI, 1.48-4.52) times higher in users of prescription medication in combination with specialist behavioral support and 1.55 (95% CI, 1.11-2.16) times higher in users of prescription medication with brief advice. The use of NRT bought over the counter was associated with a lower odds of abstinence (odds ratio, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.49-0.94).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prescription medication offered with specialist behavioral support and that offered with minimal behavioral support are successful methods of stopping cigarette smoking in England.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht University Medical Centre, Maastricht, The Netherlands; Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, London, United Kingdom. Electronic address: d.kotz@maastrichtuniversity.nl.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kotz
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Research Centre, University College London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: West
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D015995:Prevalence; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices / Q000592:standards*; D016896:Treatment Outcome