title: Inpatient smoking cessation therapy: truth or dare?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This study aims to answer the question to which extent even very heavy nicotine-dependent smokers can benefit from a 3-week inpatient smoking cessation program. A particular focus lies on analyzing the positive effects, which go above and beyond normally anticipated health benefits.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a descriptive study observing 270 patients over a 1-year period consisting of recruitment, therapy, and two post-therapy follow-up visits at 6-month interval. Gender differences, changes in body weight, and factors relating to addiction and the nicotine withdrawal process are analyzed. In comparing successful participants-post-therapy nonsmokers-with less successful ones, our analysis identifies benefits and advantages an inpatient smoking cessation therapy can bring to even the heaviest smokers.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the 12-month post-therapy follow-up visit, 42.6% of participants were identified as nonsmokers. A total of 34.0% of participants took up smoking again. No data is available on the remaining participants. Nonsmokers experienced significant reduction in nicotine craving and withdrawal symptoms. In terms of body weight, increases were found in both, men and women, nonsmokers and smokers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Successful quitters fail to report of an unbearable strong desire to smoke. Such unfounded fear should be communicated. Weight gain remains an undesired side effect. Hence, it is crucial to diagnose individuals more prone to weight gain and offer coping strategies thus reducing the risk of developing obesity. Nevertheless, the outcome of the study should be an encouragement to also heavy smokers and empower them to undertake smoking cessation.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Center of Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090, Vienna, Austria. gabriela.boehm@meduniwien.ac.at.
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.affiliation: Department of Finance, Faculty of Business, Economics and Statistics, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Yvonne
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.affiliation: Institute of Social Medicine, Center of Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1090, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Rudolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schoberberger
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001317:Austria / Q000453:epidemiology; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D007297:Inpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D017678:Sex Distribution; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: heavy smokers; inpatient smoking cessation; nicotine dependence