People Stop Research Articles

Prevalence of Popular Smoking Cessation Aids in England and Associations With Quit Success

A wide range of medications, noncombustible nicotine products, behavioral support, and alternative treatments are available in England to help people stop smoking. Understanding their effectiveness outside of clinical trial settings can support informed decision-making. To provide up-to-date estimates of the prevalence of different smoking cessation aids and associations with quit success and to explore moderation by socioeconomic position. This survey study used data from the Smoking Toolkit Study, a monthly cross-sectional household survey, conducted from 2006 to 2024 in England, UK. Participants were individuals aged at least 16 years who reported trying to quit smoking in the past year. Analyses were conducted from July to November 2024. The outcome variable was self-reported success in quitting smoking from the start of the most recent quit attempt up to the time of survey (hereafter, quit success). Independent variables were use (yes or no) of the following aids in the most recent attempt: nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), obtained via prescription or over-the-counter; varenicline; bupropion; electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes); face-to-face behavioral support; telephone support; written self-help materials; websites; smartphone apps; hypnotherapy; Allen Carr's Easyway method; heated tobacco products (HTPs); and nicotine pouches. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics and features of the quit attempt. A total of 25 094 participants (mean [SD] age, 38.7 [15.3] years; 51.5% [95% CI, 50.8%-52.2%] men) were included. In 2023 to 2024, the most used aids were e-cigarettes (40.2% [95% CI, 37.6%-42.8%]) and over-the-counter NRT (17.3% [95% CI, 15.3%-19.2%]); 40.8% (95% CI, 38.2%-43.4%) of quit attempts were unaided. While e-cigarette use was associated with higher odds of quit success after adjustment for use of other aids and covariates (odds ratio [OR], 1.95 [95% CI, 1.74-2.17]), use of over-the-counter NRT was not (OR, 1.03 [95% CI, 0.93-1.15]). Other aids positively associated with quit success were websites (used by 4.6% [95% CI, 3.5%-5.7%] in 2023-2024; OR, 1.43 [95% CI, 1.03-1.98]), prescription NRT (used by 4.5% [95% CI, 3.4%-5.5%] in 2023-2024; OR, 1.33 [95% CI, 1.12-1.58]), varenicline (used by 1.1% [95% CI, 0.5%-1.7%] in 2023-2024; OR, 1.80 [95% CI, 1.50-2.18]), and HTPs (used by 0.7% [95% CI, 0.3%-1.1%] in 2023-2024; OR, 2.37 [95% CI, 1.24-4.51]). Face-to-face behavioral support (used by 2.2% [95% CI, 1.5-2.9] in 2023-2024) was associated with higher odds of quit success among those from less advantaged (OR, 1.59 [95% CI, 1.19-2.14]) but not more advantaged (OR, 0.91 [95% CI, 0.65-1.29]) socioeconomic positions. There was not clear evidence of a benefit of any other aid, although some analyses were inconclusive. This cross-sectional study found that while a range of effective smoking cessation aids are available in England, many people tried to quit using less effective forms of support or none at all. Quit success rates could be improved by encouraging people to use more effective methods.

Experiences of policy-advisors in capacity, opportunity and motivation for implementing local tobacco control

Abstract Introduction Due to decades of decentralisation of public health policies, local governments have been given increased tobacco control responsibilities across European countries. Previous studies suggest that implementing local tobacco control policies is not without challenges (e.g., lack of resources and enforcement capabilities). This study investigates the policy implementation of both smoke-free environments and smoking cessation support services by local public health professionals in the Netherlands. Method We interviewed 24 officials of regional public health departments about the barriers and facilitators of implementing local tobacco control policies. Interviews were transcribed, analysed and classified using the Behaviour Change Wheel model (COM-B) comprising of the three components capability, opportunity, and motivation. Results Personal motivation was an important condition for public health professionals to work on specific subtopics within tobacco control. Smoke-free environments were generally considered most motivating to work on, but also involve practical obstacles such as a lack of enforcement capabilities. Smoking cessation support services were reported to be less attractive to work on, as there are no clear guidelines on what public health professionals could and should do regarding smoking cessation support. Conclusion Municipalities and local public health departments may contribute to tobacco control by creating smoke-free areas and offering services to help people stop smoking. The national government of the Netherlands could support local governments by providing clearer guidelines on creating smoke-free spaces and on how to improve local smoking cessation support services.

Why Did You Stop? Reasons for Stopping Faking Orgasms and Its Association with Sexual, Relationship, and Life Satisfaction in Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden, and the UK

ABSTRACT The current study investigated the phenomenon of faking orgasms, including the reasons why people stop faking orgasms, sociodemographic predictors of faking orgasms, its association with sex toy use, and its association with sexual, relationship, and life satisfaction. A cross-country convenience sample of 11,541 respondents from six European countries (Denmark, Finland, France, Norway, Sweden, and the UK) was collected in May and June 2022 through respondent panels by Cint, a market research software platform. Participants completed an online self-report survey. The study’s main findings showed that around 51% of men and women in the study had never faked orgasms, around 28% had faked orgasms but stopped faking and around 13% currently faked orgasms. Further, the reasons for men and women to stop faking orgasms included becoming more comfortable with not having an orgasm, improving sexual communication with their sexual partner, and the partner paying more attention to the respondents’ desires and preferences. Finally, it was shown that faking orgasms was associated with lower sexual, relationship, and life satisfaction. The current study represents one of the few research projects focusing on the phenomenon of stopping faking orgasms and reasons for it, with the added strength of including a large male sample.

Community pharmacists' experience, attitudes, and knowledge in providing care to lactating persons

AbstractIntroductionBreastfed infants have been shown to have a lower incidence of common childhood infections and sudden infant death syndrome. Furthermore, breastfeeding people experience lower rates of post‐partum mood disorders. The majority of breastfeeding people stop breastfeeding earlier than they intend. Concern about medication use during lactation is one reason for early discontinuation. It is critical that community pharmacists are prepared to appropriately counsel lactating patients on the effects medications can have on their efforts to breastfeed.ObjectivesTo (1) characterize community pharmacists' experience, attitudes, and knowledge regarding medication use during lactation and (2) identify factors impacting pharmacists' knowledge.MethodsA 52‐item electronic survey was used to collect demographics, experiences, attitudes, and knowledge regarding medication use during lactation. Community pharmacists who precepted for a Big Ten College of Pharmacy were eligible to participate in the study. Descriptive statistics were calculated using Microsoft Excel. Multivariable linear regression was performed using R (version 3.6.1) to evaluate which factors influenced total knowledge scores.ResultsForty‐eight of 1029 pharmacy preceptors (4.7%) completed the survey. The average total knowledge score for respondents was 51.3%. Most (80.0%) respondents agreed or strongly agreed they viewed themselves as valuable healthcare resources to breastfeeding patients. Most (82.5%) agreed or strongly agreed that patients who desire information about how medications can impact breastfeeding will directly ask for it. Fewer than 50% agreed or strongly agreed that pharmacy workflow supported them to look up lactation‐related information while working.ConclusionPharmacists have low knowledge of medications' effects on milk supply despite their positive attitudes towards breastfeeding and belief they are valuable healthcare resources to their breastfeeding patients. Workflow barriers, expectations that patients will ask for lactation‐related information if desired, and gaps in education may be key contributors to lactating patients not getting the information they need regarding medication use.

Social determinants of antidepressant continuation during pregnancy in the USA: findings from the ABCD cohort study

PurposePatients and healthcare professionals overestimate the risks of using antidepressants during pregnancy. According to current literature, approximately half of people stop taking an anti-depressant medication when they become pregnant. Discontinuing antidepressants during pregnancy increases risks of postnatal relapses. Factors like socioeconomic status, education, and planned pregnancies play a role in the decision to continue antidepressant medication, which can worsen disparities in maternal and child health. Our aim was to identify the sociodemographic factors associated with antidepressant continuation after awareness of pregnancy.MethodsWe used representative data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study that captures maternal medication during pregnancy. We identified women who used antidepressants before awareness of their pregnancy. We calculated crude and adjusted associations between sociodemographic factors and continuation of antidepressant medication during pregnancy. Our model included age, education, ethnicity, first language, household income, living with a partner, having planned the pregnancy, pregnancy duration and smoking during pregnancy.ResultsIn total, 199 women continued antidepressants and 100 discontinued. The logistic regressions resulted in only one significant factor: first language. Native English speakers were more likely to continue medication than other mothers (adjusted OR = 14.94, 95% CI = [2.40; 291.45], p = .015).ConclusionsLanguage differences were associated with continuation of antidepressants. Non-native English speakers were more likely to discontinue antidepressants, which may lead to health inequities. This finding should be taken into account to reinforce information about the limited risks of antidepressants among people with non-English speaking backgrounds in the USA.

How and why do financial incentives contribute to helping people stop smoking? A realist review

BackgroundTobacco smoking remains a key cause of preventable illness and death globally. In response, many countries provide extensive services to help people to stop smoking by offering a variety of effective behavioural and pharmacological therapies. However, many people who wish to stop smoking do not have access to or use stop smoking supports, and new modes of support, including the use of financial incentives, are needed to address this issue. A realist review of published international literature was undertaken to understand how, why, for whom, and in which circumstances financial incentives contribute to success in stopping smoking for general population groups and among pregnant women.MethodsSystematic searches were undertaken from inception to February 2022 of five academic databases: MEDLINE (ovid), Embase.com, CIHAHL, Scopus and PsycINFO. Study selection was inclusive of all study designs. Twenty-two studies were included. Using Pawson and Tilley’s iterative realist review approach, data collected were screened, selected, coded, analysed, and synthesised into a set of explanatory theoretical findings.ResultsData were synthesised into six Context-Mechanism-Outcome Configurations and one overarching programme theory after iterative rounds of analysis, team discussion, and expert panel feedback. Our programme theory shows that financial incentives are particularly useful to help people stop smoking if they have a financial need, are pregnant or recently post-partum, have a high threshold for behaviour change, and/or respond well to external rewards. The incentives work through a number of mechanisms including the role their direct monetary value can play in a person’s life and through a process of reinforcement where they can help build confidence and self-esteem.ConclusionThis is the first realist review to synthesise how, why, and for whom financial incentives work among those attempting to stop smoking, adding to the existing evidence demonstrating their efficacy. The findings will support the implementation of current knowledge into effective programmes which can enhance the impact of stop smoking care.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42022298941.

Do people stop conducting olfactory training when their olfaction recovers?

Do people stop conducting olfactory training when their olfaction recovers?

Knowledge assessment of e-smoking risk factors among Al-Ahsa population in Saudi Arabia

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate the general knowledge of electronic smoking, and its associated risk factors among the inhabitants of Al-Ahsa, Saudi Arabia. Methods: A cross-sectional study in Saudi Arabia's Al-Ahsa region was conducted that used an online self-administered questionnaire to gather demographic data and knowledge about e-smoking side effects through social media. Results: The current study found that a significant, one-fourth of participants used e-cigarettes. Usage was predominant among male, young, and undergraduate adults. The study population attributed it toward flavor variability and social acceptability. The majority of the users believed that these devices are less harmful than the traditional methods, although they were aware of the potential side effects of their constituents. About half of the users were aware of the services and initiatives available to help people stop smoking and vaping. Conclusion: According to this study, rumors regarding e-cigarettes' capacity to help smokers quit are making young adolescents in Al-Ahsa attracted toward these devices. However, their safety has not received governmental clearance. Toxic and addictive compounds found in e-cigarettes can lead to coughing and dyspnea, with lung cancer being the most common risk. Campaigns to inform people about the dangers of e-cigarettes must be encouraged and additional research is the need of the hour to fully grasp the risks associated with it.

Exploring reasons for usage discontinuation in an internet-delivered stress recovery intervention: A qualitative study

Internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy (ICBT) interventions can be as effective as traditional face-to-face therapy for various mental health conditions. However, a significant challenge these online interventions face is the high rate of people who start but then stop using the program. This early discontinuation can be seen as incomplete treatment and can reduce the potential benefits for users. By exploring why people stop using ICBT programs, we can better understand how to address this problem. This study aimed to examine the experiences of healthcare workers who had stopped using a therapist-guided internet-delivered stress recovery program to gain deeper insights into usage attrition. We conducted semi-structured interviews with twelve participants who were female healthcare workers ranging in age from 24 to 68 years (M = 44.67, SD = 11.80). Telephone interviews were conducted and the data were transcribed and analyzed using thematic analysis. Qualitative data analysis revealed that most participants had multiple reasons for discontinuing the program. They identified both barriers and facilitators to using the program, which could be categorized as either personal or program related. Personal aspects included life circumstances, personal characteristics, and psychological responses to the program. Program-related aspects encompassed technical factors, program content, and the level of support provided. The findings of this study can enhance our understanding of why people stop using guided internet-delivered programs. We discuss the practical and research implications, with the ultimate aim of improving the design and efficacy of internet interventions.

A life course perspective on determinants of discontinuance of active participation in sports activities

Physical inactivity remains a global public health challenge today. Determining why people stop regularly participating in sports is significant to develop targeted intervention strategies for sports promotion and healthy living. As sports participation is dynamic throughout life, a life-course perspective is needed to provide a more comprehensive understanding. This study adopts a life-course perspective to explore the determinants of the change from active participation in sports to becoming inactive. Based on online retrospective survey data collected in the Netherlands, a two-level binary logistic regression model is estimated to capture the effects of socio-demographics, sports motivations, life transitions, and neighborhood characteristics on sports dropout over the lifespan. Results show that dropout from sports is age-specific, and that people are less likely to discontinue sports participation when they have health and weight loss goals. Life transitions have different effects. The cessation of living with physically active people appears to be the most important event to make people stop sporting, followed by having a baby, and then owning the first car. Compared with education-related events, work-related events are more likely to cause people to stop sporting. Moreover, the probability of sports discontinuance may increase when residents feel unsafe doing physical activities in their neighborhoods or when the neighborhood has sufficient greenspace for walking. The findings have implications for supporting sports participants to continue exercising by addressing the barriers.

Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta-analyses.

Pharmacological and electronic cigarette interventions for smoking cessation in adults: component network meta-analyses.

A study of once-a-week donepezil transdermal system's bioequivalence to oral donepezil in healthy volunteers: a plain language summary.

This is a plain language summary of an article published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease. It describes an adhesive patch placed on the skin's surface, also referred to as a transdermal delivery system (or TDS), that delivers donepezil (called donepezil TDS going forward) through the skin of patients with mild, moderate, and severe dementia of the Alzheimer's type. This summary focuses on how fast and how much of the medication donepezil enters the body through the skin, and how it compares with taking a pill form of donepezil by mouth (oral donepezil). This summary also looks at how much donepezil is circulating through the body with the use of the once-a-week donepezil TDS versus the once-a-day donepezil pill. We show that the same amount of donepezil circulates through the body when donepezil TDS is used once a week as when a participant takes an oral donepezil pill once a day. Dementia is a term used to describe a person's decreasing ability to remember, think, or make decisions necessary to successfully complete daily activities. Alzheimer's disease is a disorder that progresses slowly, with the symptoms of dementia getting worse over many years. When viewed under a microscope, the visible features of Alzheimer's disease within the brain are protein deposits called plaques between brain cells and protein strands within brain cells that appear as tangles. One of the many features that cannot be seen with the naked eye in the Alzheimer's brain is the low level of a chemical called acetylcholine that allows certain nerve cells in the brain involved with memory to communicate with one another. Donepezil, a drug that is widely used to treat dementia associated with Alzheimer's disease, increases the amount of acetylcholine in the brain. Donepezil is usually in pill form and taken by mouth. However, one problem with taking oral donepezil is that it can cause stomach or intestinal side effects like diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. These side effects may be bad enough that people stop taking their medication. In 2022, for the first time, the United States Food and Drug Administration approved a donepezil TDS marketed under the name Adlarity. Donepezil TDS is for use in patients who have mild, moderate, and severe dementia caused by Alzheimer's disease. It is applied once a week to skin on the patient's back, upper buttocks, or thigh. Donepezil TDS allows the drug donepezil to be absorbed into the body directly through the skin, which means that the drug does not go through the digestive system. This means that many stomach and intestinal side effects (the undesirable effects of the drug) can potentially be reduced. In healthy volunteers, we showed that donepezil TDS allows a similar amount of the drug into the body as the oral donepezil pill. This is done using a type of examination known as pharmacokinetics (how much, how fast, and how steadily donepezil is taken into the bloodstream). In healthy participants, donepezil TDS had overall fewer stomach and intestinal side effects (like constipation, diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting) than the oral donepezil pill, although more participants reported abdominal pain with donepezil TDS than with oral donepezil. Donepezil TDS also had fewer instances of nervous system side effects (like dizziness and sleepiness) than the oral donepezil pill. These findings support using donepezil TDS to treat patients with Alzheimer's disease.

Finances, lack of trust among reasons why people stop giving to charity

New research from the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance—also known as Give.org—finds that the reasons for people disengaging from philanthropy vary quite a bit by age group, and often come down to feeling that other, more wealthy people should be giving instead of them, or simply that they were not being asked to give in the ways that they expect to be asked.

A mobile application to help young people stop using tobacco products

A mobile application to help young people stop using tobacco products

Is subversion just another version of state aversion? Notes on Herzfeld’s Subversive archaism

Is subversion just another version of state aversion? Notes on Herzfeld’s <i>Subversive archaism</i>

Counselling to enhance resilience among alcohol dependence – pilot analysis

India’s reputation as a country with strong abstinence culture, particularly when it comes to alcohol, is under appreciated. In recent years, the country has experienced a tremendous development of metropolitan pubs and nightclubs, and it is quickly losing its inhibitions about drinking as a lifestyle choice. This circumstance has sparked fears of an unreported surge in alcohol misuse, not only among the poorer classes, but even among hitherto dry portions of society. Drink-related disorders have already emerged as a serious public health concern in India due to increased production, distribution, and promotion of alcohol, and there has been a rapid change in patterns of alcohol consumption in India. Counseling focuses on helping people stop drinking alcohol and is followed up with life skills and social support to assist them avoid relapsing. The chance of developing an alcohol consumption disorder was considerably lowered when people were resilient. The link between resilience and alcohol use disorder was shown to be mostly due to shared genetic and environmental variables. Counseling assists persons who are addicted in setting short-term goals that are attainable and empowering, as well as long-term goals that may include repairing damaged relationships, accepting responsibility for acts, and letting go of guilt.

"Why are you making people stop working?”: the wording of the shabat commandment and the cry of the slaves in the Exodus

"Why are you making people stop working?”: the wording of the shabat commandment and the cry of the slaves in the Exodus

哲思的前進：生命倫理學的反思與價值重構

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in Chinese; abstract also in English.&#x0D; 每當我們提及生命倫理學時，不可避免要提及的話題：生命倫理的終極指徵是什麼？是從道德的層面教導人類向善？還是要從技術的維度延長人類的壽命？是要規範人類的行為準則？亦或是要恪守人類的道德底線？誠然，從不同的學科分野下，對於生命倫理學的探究一直未曾停止，但是Joseph Tham “Bioethics: Cross-Cultural Explorations”一文：卻從更為原初的層面向我們闡釋了生命或者説是理念的價值所在。(撮要取自內文首段)&#x0D; Emerging developments in science and technology have changed the “relationships” between people in the traditional sense, and life has been carved more and more rounded, but at the same time, it has smoothed out the “edges” of life. Science and technology have begun to erode bioethics under the guise of reason, as the standards for “good” or “evil” are no longer defined by human morality, but by data. We seem to have forgotten our most original pursuit and neglected to ponder the original meaning of life. Through his work, “Bioethics: Cross-Cultural Explorations,” Tham hopes to make people stop, re-examine, and look at the values and attributes of bioethics from multiple dimensions, such as religion, history, and culture, and reawaken human beings' interest in beauty and moral cognition.

Греческие мистериальные культы. Часть I: Святилище Великих богов на о. Самофракия и мистерии Кабиров

In this article we first, using the example of Eleusis, briefly examine the question of the origin of ancient mystery practices, and we also touch upon the problem of the evolution of Greek religious beliefs from Archaic times to the Classical period. Often the presence or absence of an extraordinary experience is regarded as a criterion which allows to classify a specific ancient cult as a “mystery” cult. Another criterion, of course, is the closed, initiatory nature of these cults. We discuss this type of cults in the paper, beginning with the historically most ancient ones. The main part of the article is devoted to the detailed study of the Samothracian Mysteries and the sacred rites of Kabeiroi, first of all, in Thebes and on the island of Lemnos. The literary and epigraphic data in the article are considered in the light of archaeological findings. We see that the ancient cult of the Kabeiroi, as well as the ideas about the Great Gods of Samothrace, underwent significant changes over time, first of all, it seems, under the influence of Eleusis. Were the myths of the Samothrace and of the Kabeiroi of a ‘salvific’ nature, and not only in the sense of rescue at sea or from enemies by means of miraculous weapons or foreign magic? Obviously, since about the time of Plato, and perhaps somewhat earlier, the mystery cults, above all the Eleusinian and Orphic ones, are accompanied by certain eschatology and are conceptualized in a philosophical way. This does not mean, of course, that people stop turning to the gods with “ordinary” requests for help and, passing through initiation into the mysteries, necessarily aspire to acquire only a special “mystic” experience or secure for themselves a privileged place in the other world, the picture of which just at this time is significantly transformed. This is briefly the content of the first part of the work, published in this issue of the journal. In the second part of the study we will continue with an account of the “minor mysteries” of antiquity, such as the secret rituals of the Korybantes, the Andanian mysteries in Messenia, and the cult of Artemis in Ephesus, in order to move in the third part to late antique practices such as the mysteries of Isis and Mithras, which we hope will bring us closer to a theoretical synthesis that treats the nature and meaning of the ancient mystery cults.

Do the reasons why people desist from crime vary by age, length of offending career or lifestyle factors?

AbstractResearch into desistance from crime has progressed enormously in the past three decades. Despite this tremendous growth, some issues remain unexplored. Among these is the extent to which the reasons why people stop offending might vary by the age at which they stop, and their previous lifestyles. Herein we explore the extent to which the reasons why people desist are associated with their age, and the length and nature of their criminal career. We find that there are no particular associations between the reasons for their desistance and any of these variables, though social context is important. So particular social contexts are seen by those desisting as key to their wish to desist, but they may occur at different ages and it is when they are salient to that individual that they promote action. We close by discussing why this might be the case and the ramifications for theories of desistance.