title: Associations of Weight Concerns With Self-Efficacy and Motivation to Quit Smoking: A Population-Based Study Among Finnish Daily Smokers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Concerns about weight gain occurring after smoking cessation may affect motivation and self-efficacy towards quitting smoking. We examined associations of smoking-specific weight concerns with smoking cessation motivation and self-efficacy in a population-based cross-sectional sample of daily smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  Six-hundred biochemically verified (blood cotinine) current daily smokers comprising 318 men and 282 women aged 25-74 years, were studied as part of the National FINRISK (Finnish Population Survey on Risk Factors on Chronic, Noncommunicable Diseases) study and its DIetary, Lifestyle and Genetic factors in the development of Obesity and Metabolic syndrome (DILGOM) sub-study that was conducted in Finland in 2007. Self-reported scales were used to assess weight concerns, motivation and self-efficacy regarding the cessation of smoking. Multiple regression analyses of concerns about weight in relation to motivation and self-efficacy were conducted with adjustments for sex, age (years), body mass index (BMI, [kg/m(2)]), physical activity (times per week), and further controlled for nicotine dependence (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Higher levels of weight concerns were associated with lower self-efficacy (β = -0.07, p < .001) after adjusting for sex and age. The association remained after additional adjustment for BMI and physical activity (β = -0.07, p < .001). After further controlling for nicotine dependence the association became weaker but remained significant (β = -0.04, p = .02). There were no statistically significant associations between concerns about weight and motivation for smoking cessation (β = 0.02, p = 0.16).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These cross-sectional population-based data do not support earlier findings that suggest that smokers with high levels of weight concerns are less motivated to quit smoking. Our data suggest that daily smokers who are highly concerned about weight may have lower self-efficacy for cessation of smoking.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; eeva-liisa.tuovinen@helsinki.fi.
authors.forename: Eeva-Liisa
authors.initials: EL
authors.lastname: Tuovinen
authors.affiliation: Psychiatry Division, Turku University Central Hospital, Turku, Finland; Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute of Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland;
authors.forename: Suoma E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Saarni
authors.affiliation: Department of Oral Health Policy and Epidemiology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; Behavioral Science Consulting, Hopkinton, MA;
authors.forename: Taru H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Kinnunen
authors.affiliation: Department of Social Research, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland;
authors.forename: Ari
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Haukkala
authors.affiliation: Department of Chronic Disease Prevention, National Institute for Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland;
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Jousilahti
authors.affiliation: Independent Researcher, Association for Continuous Medical Education in Finland, Pro Medico, Helsinki, Finland;
authors.forename: Kristiina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Patja
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute of Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland;
authors.forename: Jaakko
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kaprio
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland; Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services, National Institute of Health and Welfare, Helsinki, Finland; Institute of Public Health and Clinical Nutrition, University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio, Finland.
authors.forename: Tellervo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Korhonen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003367:Cotinine / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D057566:Self Report; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000523:psychology*; D015430:Weight Gain
chemical_list: D003367:Cotinine