Back to Annual Meeting Page		American Public Health Association 133rd Annual Meeting & Exposition December 10-14, 2005 Philadelphia, PA

Abstract #118226

Hai-Yen Sung, PhD¹, Nancy P. Gordon, ScD², Wendy Max, PhD³, Thomas Ray, MBA², and Dorothy P. Rice, ScD(hon)³. (1) Institute for Health & Aging, University of California at San Francisco, 3333 California Street, Suite 340, San Francisco, CA 94118, 415-502-4697, Hai-Yen.Sung@ucsf.edu, (2) Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, Northern California, 2000 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612, (3) Institute for Health & Aging, University of California, San Francisco, Campus Box 0646, San Francisco, CA 94143-0646

The objective of this study was to identify factors associated with quit attempts and successful quitting among members of a large HMO in Northern California. Using data from the 1996, 1999, and 2002 Member Health Survey, we examined member's quitting behavior and exposure to smoking cessation intervention programs, and behavioral characteristics. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify statistically significant factors for cessation. Among 5,528 adult current smokers and recent quitter who quit within the past 12 months, 2,649 persons (48%) had made quit attempts during the past year. Adults with quit attempts were more likely to have received physician advice to quit, participated in health education programs, and consumed reduced-fat foods. In addition, having tobacco-related diseases in the past year was a significant predictor for quit attempts among males, while having strong health beliefs and exercising regularly were strong predictors among females. Among 2,170 current smokers with quit attempts last year and former smokers who quit 7-12 months before the survey, only 358 (16%) reported successful quitting for 7-12 months. Longtime smokers (10 years or more) were less likely to quit successfully. Our results did not show that participation in smoking cessation programs and health education programs, and use of nicotine replacement drugs (NRD) increased the likelihood of successful quitting. These findings suggest that health education programs were effective in increasing member's quit attempts. However, further research is needed to examine why smoking cessation programs and the use of NRT did not contribute to successful quitting.

Learning Objectives:

• · At the conclusion of the presentation, participants in this session will be able to describe smoking cessation intervention factors and behavioral factors associated with quit attempts and successful quitting among members of a large managed care health plan.

Keywords: Smoking Cessation, Health Care Managed Care

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

I wish to disclose that I have NO financial interests or other relationship with the manufactures of commercial products, suppliers of commercial services or commercial supporters.