Abstract
AimsTo estimate the associations between regular exposure to smoking by other people and motivation and attempts to quit among current smokers. To examine whether socio‐demographic and other factors moderate these associations.DesignA repeat nationally representative cross‐sectional survey. Data were collected monthly between November 2014 and February 2019.SettingEngland.ParticipantsCurrent smokers ≥16 years of age from the Smoking Toolkit Study (n = 15 136).MeasurementsParticipants were asked whether other people regularly smoke in their presence, how motivated they were to quit and whether they had made a quit attempt in the past year. Moderators assessed were occupation‐based social grade, housing tenure, urges to smoke, high‐risk alcohol consumption, and disability. Adjusted analyses included moderators, socio‐demographic (age/sex/ethnicity/sexual orientation/marital status/children in household) and seasonal (quarter/year) confounders.FindingsCurrent smokers who were regularly exposed to other people smoking in their presence were less likely to be highly motivated to quit (OR = 0.88 [95% CI 0.80–0.97]), but were no less likely to have made a quit attempt in the past year (OR 1.04 [0.97–1.13], Bayes Factor (BF) = 0.05). The inverse relationship between regular smoking exposure and motivation to quit was moderated by urges to smoke, such that exposure was only associated with a reduction in motivation among those without strong urges to smoke (OR 0.83 [0.75–0.93] versus OR 1.04 [0.86–1.26]; P = 0.048). None of the other factors significantly moderated the association with motivation to quit, and none moderated the relationship between regular smoking exposure and quit attempts. All non‐significant interactions, except social grade (BF = 1.44) with quit attempts, had Bayes Factors that supported the hypothesis of no moderation (BF range: 0.12–0.21).ConclusionsAmong current smokers in England, regular exposure to other smokers appears to be associated with lower motivation to quit in people without strong urges to smoke, yet there appears to be no association with quit attempts in the previous year. Social grade, housing tenure, high‐risk alcohol consumption and disability do not moderate these associations.
Highlights
People who are regularly exposed to smoking by others are more likely to start smoking themselves [1, 2]
Using data from the Smoking Toolkit Study (STS), we investigated the associations that smoking exposure had with motivation and attempts to quit
This study aims to investigate whether the association of regular smoking exposure with motivation to quit smoking and incidence of a quit attempt is moderated by these key socio-demographic and behavioural factors
Summary
People who are regularly exposed to smoking by others are more likely to start smoking themselves [1, 2]. It might increase social pressure to smoke, both via direct persuasion and through the influence of social norms [7] This relationship between regular smoking exposure and quitting may depend on several risk factors. Groups in social housing likely have stronger smoking social norms, which could lead to a greater negative association between regular smoking exposures and motivation and attempts to quit. This study aims to investigate whether the association of regular smoking exposure with motivation to quit smoking and incidence of a quit attempt is moderated by these key socio-demographic and behavioural factors. Are these associations moderated by occupation-based social grade, housing tenure, strength of urges to smoke, high-risk alcohol consumption or disability, before and after adjusting for potential confounders?
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