Abstract
OBJECTIVE To analyze the prevalence and factors associated with smoking abstinence among patients who were treated in a reference unit for smoking cessation.METHODS This cross-sectional study examined the medical records of 532 patients treated in a reference unit for smoking cessation in Belém, PA, Northern Brazil, between January 2010 and June 2012. Sociodemographic variables and those related to smoking history and treatment were analyzed. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.RESULTS The mean age of the participants was 50 years; 57.0% of the patients were women. The mean tobacco load was 30 packs/year, and the mean smoking duration was approximately 32 years. Most patients remained in treatment for four months. The rate of smoking abstinence was 75.0%. Regression analysis indicated that maintenance therapy, absence of relapse triggers, and lower chemical dependence were significantly associated with smoking cessation.CONCLUSIONS The smoking abstinence rate observed was 75.0%. The cessation process was associated with several aspects, including the degree of chemical dependence, symptoms of withdrawal, and period of patient follow-up in a multidisciplinary treatment program. Studies of this nature contribute to the collection of consistent epidemiological data and are essential for the implementation of effective smoking prevention and cessation strategies.
Highlights
Smoking is an important public health problem
The cessation process was associated with several aspects, including the degree of chemical dependence, symptoms of withdrawal, and period of patient follow-up in a multidisciplinary treatment program
Tobacco dependence is a complex process that involves the pharmacological action of nicotine; conditionings and acquired behavioral processes; and factors related to personality, emotional expressions, and social conditions.a
Summary
Smoking is an important public health problem. Tobacco dependence is a complex process that involves the pharmacological action of nicotine (physical dependence); conditionings and acquired behavioral processes (behavioral dependence); and factors related to personality, emotional expressions, and social conditions (psychological dependence).aSmoking cessation is an efficient and cost-effective intervention because it promotes a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality rates.b Therapeutic strategies that can be used for smoking cessation include pharmacological treatments ( nicotine replacement and bupropion), combined with behavioral and individualized approaches, known as cognitivebehavioral therapy.[2,17]Considering that most studies on tobacco control in Brazil contain specific population profiles,[4,20] knowing the profile of smokers in the context of the main difficulties associated with smoking cessation allows for more effective treatments.The present study aimed to analyze the prevalence of the factors associated with smoking abstinence among patients who were treated at a reference unit for smoking cessation. Smoking is an important public health problem. Tobacco dependence is a complex process that involves the pharmacological action of nicotine (physical dependence); conditionings and acquired behavioral processes (behavioral dependence); and factors related to personality, emotional expressions, and social conditions (psychological dependence).a. Smoking cessation is an efficient and cost-effective intervention because it promotes a significant reduction in morbidity and mortality rates.b Therapeutic strategies that can be used for smoking cessation include pharmacological treatments ( nicotine replacement and bupropion), combined with behavioral and individualized approaches, known as cognitivebehavioral therapy.[2,17]. Considering that most studies on tobacco control in Brazil contain specific population profiles,[4,20] knowing the profile of smokers in the context of the main difficulties associated with smoking cessation allows for more effective treatments.
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