Associations between use of pharmacological aids in a smoking cessation attempt and subsequent quitting activity: a population study.
OBJECTIVE
Modelling the population impact and cost-effectiveness of smoking cessation aids is limited by lack of knowledge about how the use of aids changes across quit attempts. Here we test whether the quit method used in a previous attempt influences (i) future decisions to quit and/or (ii) treatment/s used during subsequent attempts.


METHODS
Data came from the Smoking Toolkit Study, a United Kingdom national household survey.


METHODS
Smokers (n = 5489) who completed a baseline and 6-month follow-up questionnaire. Respondents were asked what treatment/s, grouped as: prescription medication/s [bupropion, varenicline or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT)], over-the-counter NRT or unaided that they had used in their most recent quit attempt (at baseline), and any use of treatment/s for a quit attempt in the last 3 months at follow-up.


RESULTS
Smokers who had tried to quit at baseline were more likely to report having tried to quit again prior to follow-up [all odds ratios ≥ 2.19 relative to no attempt at baseline, P < 0.001]. Smokers who tried to quit using pharmacological aids were more likely to try to quit again at follow-up (all ORs ≥ 2.19 relative to no attempt at baseline, P < 0.001). Smokers tended to re-try aids used in baseline attempts in future attempts (all ORs ≥ 1.48 relative to no attempt at baseline, P < 0.01).


CONCLUSIONS
Smokers who have tried to quit in the past year are more likely to try to quit again within 6 months regardless of whether they used a pharmacological aid, and they are more likely to re-try aids they had used previously.
School of Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
Stuart G
SG
Ferguson
Jamie
J
Brown
Mai
M
Frandsen
Robert
R
West
D000328:Adult; D016642:Bupropion / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D000068580:Varenicline / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
D018765:Dopamine Uptake Inhibitors; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D016642:Bupropion; D000068580:Varenicline
Behavioural support; bupropion; cessation medication; modelling; nicotine replacement therapy; quitting behaviour; smoking cessation; varenicline