Readiness Visual Analog Scale: A Simple Way to Predict Post-Stroke Smoking Behavior.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of the present study was to assess a relationship between readiness to quit and post-stroke smoking behavior.


METHODS
Eighty-six active smokers with first-ever ischemic stroke were recruited in a tertiary-care stroke unit. The question "Are you ready to quit smoking within the next month?" with yes/no responses and the 10-cm readiness visual analog scale (VAS) was administered during the anti-smoking intervention. Smoking status was verified at the 3- and 12-month follow-up.


RESULTS
The readiness VAS score at hospitalization was significantly lower in patients classified as smokers as compared to patients classified as non-smokers. The readiness score <5 cm was a significant predictor of smoking at the 3-month (OR, 7.3) and 12-month follow-up (OR, 4.9).


CONCLUSIONS
The present results suggest that the readiness VAS can be used as a simple and inexpensive instrument for early identification of patients who continue to smoke after stroke.
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland. bienkow@ipin.edu.pl.
Przemyslaw
P
Bienkowski
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland. pzatorski@wp.pl.
Pawel
P
Zatorski
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland. aglebicka@ipin.edu.pl.
Agata
A
Glebicka
Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego St., 02-957 Warsaw, Poland. scinska@yahoo.com.
Anna
A
Scinska
Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 02-957 Warsaw, Poland. ikurkowska@ipin.edu.pl.
Iwona
I
Kurkowska-Jastrzebska
Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego St., 02-957 Warsaw, Poland. magda.restel@gmail.com.
Magdalena
M
Restel
Department of Psychiatry, Pomeranian Medical University, 70-204 Szczecin, Poland. samoj@pum.edu.pl.
Jerzy
J
Samochowiec
Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego St., 02-957 Warsaw, Poland. ryglew@ipin.edu.pl.
Danuta
D
Ryglewicz
Department of Neurology, Institute of Psychiatry and Neurology, 9 Sobieskiego St., 02-957 Warsaw, Poland. jarosz@ipin.edu.pl.
Halina
H
Sienkiewicz-Jarosz
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D055502:Secondary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D064232:Visual Analog Scale
cigarette smoking; ischemic stroke; readiness to quit; secondary prevention; visual analog scale