title: The social determinants and starting and sustaining quit attempts in a national sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess whether social, economic and demographic measures are associated with initiating and sustaining quit attempts in a national sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers.
  
  
  METHODS
  We analysed data from 759 adults who reported smoking at least weekly in the Talking About The Smokes baseline survey (April 2012 - October 2013) and completed a follow up survey a year later (August 2013 - August 2014).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Almost none of the standard baseline socioeconomic indicators predicted making or sustaining quit attempts. However, becoming employed was associated with making quit attempts (OR 1.88) and both becoming employed (OR 3.03) and moving to purchase a home (OR 2.34) were both positively associated with sustaining abstinence of one month or more. More smokers who had insufficient money for food or essentials because of money spent on cigarettes had made a quit attempt (OR 1.47) and sustained abstinence of one month or more (OR 1.74).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Disadvantage does not seem to have pervasive negative effects on quitting. We should be more optimistic in our tobacco control activities with the most disadvantaged among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers. Increasing personal empowerment (e.g. getting a job) may lead to at least short-term improvements in quitting.
authors.affiliation: Menzies School of Health Research, Northern Territory.
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: University of South Australia.
authors.forename: Kathryn S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Panaretto
authors.affiliation: Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre.|University of Tasmania.
authors.forename: Maureen
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Davey
authors.affiliation: Lowitja Institute, Victoria.
authors.forename: Viki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.affiliation: Cancer Council Victoria.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D000074285:Smokers / Q000523:psychology*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D064890:Social Determinants of Health; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Aboriginal; Indigenous; smoking; social determinants