Abstract
Smoking poses critical risks for heart disease and cancers. Heavy smokers, defined as smoking more than 30 pack-year, are the most important target for smoking cessation. This study aimed to obtain the cessation rate and its predictors among heavy smokers. We collected data from heavy smokers who visited a smoking-free hospital in Taiwan during 2017. All patients were prescribed either varenicline or nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for smoking cessation, and their smoking status was followed for six months. Successful smoking cessation was defined by self-reported no smoking over the preceding seven days (7-day point abstinence). In total, 280 participants with a mean aged of 53.5 years were enrolled, and 42.9% of participants successfully stopped smoking in 6 months. The results revealed that quitters were older, with hypertension, fewer daily cigarettes, and being prescribed with varenicline. Multiple logistic regressions analyses identified that fewer daily cigarettes and being prescribed with varenicline were predictors of successful smoking cessation. Therefore, we suggest that varenicline use may help heavy smokers in smoking cessation.
Highlights
Tobacco use is one of the leading public health problems that causes more than 8 million deaths per year in the world
The purpose of the study was to find out the smoking cessation rate and its predictors of successful smoking cessation among heavy smokers in our smoking-free hospital
All participants were over the age of 18 years old and were legally covered in the National Health Insurance Program in Taiwan, had a Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence (FTND) score equal to or greater than 4 or smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day
Summary
Tobacco use is one of the leading public health problems that causes more than 8 million deaths per year in the world. The prevalence of smoking in Taiwan is approximately 3.5 million, and more than 20,000 people died every year in ways related to tobacco use [3]. Smoking intensity consists of smoking amount and smoking duration It was calculated by multiplying the number of packs of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years the subject has smoked. Smoking intensity posed a positive dose-response relationship with significant increases in lymphoma risk [6]. Based on the dose-response meta-analysis, the risk of stroke increased by 12% for each increment of five cigarettes per day [7]. In non-small cell lung cancer, the increase in pack-years was associated
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
