title: Gender Differences in Outcome of an Attempt to Stop Smoking Among Smokers Attending a Smoking Cessation Clinic in Taiwan: 3-Year Follow-Up Study.
abstract: Studies that have examined gender differences in smoking cessation have produced mixed results. The purpose of the study was to examine whether there are gender differences in long-term smoking abstinence rates in smokers treated with nicotine patches at a smoking cessation clinic in Taiwan, where 39% of men and 5% of women smoke. This study included 1,065 smokers, comprising of 940 men and 125 women. Smokers were invited to attend the clinic every 1-2 weeks for a maximum of eight visits over 90 days, where they received prescriptions for nicotine patches, counseling, and educational materials. Participants were contacted by telephone at 1 and 3 years after the first visit and were asked whether they had smoked at all over the past 7 days. The results showed that women were significantly less likely than men to be abstinent at 1 year (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 0.64; 95% CI [confidence interval] = [0.41, 0.99]; p = .044) and 3 years (aOR = 0.44; 95% CI = [0.27, 0.74]; p = .02). More effective ways are needed to help female smokers quit in societies where smoking in women is rare and may be associated with social stigma.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Department of Physical Examination Center, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pin-Chieh
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Shu-Zen College of Medicine and Management, Kaohsiung, Taiwan kjhsuch@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Kuang-Chieh
authors.initials: KC
authors.lastname: Hsueh
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Examination Center, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Guang-Yuan
authors.initials: GY
authors.lastname: Mar
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Business Administration, Meiho University, Pingtung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Shu-Chun
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Hsueh
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Medicine, Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital, Kaohsiung, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ming-Shium
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.affiliation: Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Hayden
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: McRobbie
authors.affiliation: Wolfson Institute of Preventive Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, London, United Kingdom.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hajek
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D012737:Sex Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices
keywords: 3-year follow-up; adult; gender; smoking cessation clinic; transdermal nicotine patch