Assessment of factors related to smokers' adherence to a short-term support group for smoking cessation: a longitudinal study in a developing country

• Published in: Trends in psychiatry and psychotherapy 2017-01, Vol.39 (1), p.19-28
• Main Authors: Figueiró, Luciana Rizzieri, Barros, Helena Maria Tannhauser, Ferigolo, Maristela, Dantas, Denise Conceição Mesquita
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adherence; Adult; Age Factors; Anxiety; Anxiety - complications; Anxiety - epidemiology; Brazil; Cigarettes; comorbidity; Depression - complications; Depression - epidemiology; Developing Countries; Drug addiction; Drug dependence; Female; Humans; LDCs; Longitudinal Studies; Male; Mental depression; Middle Aged; Motivation; Multivariate Analysis; Patient Compliance - psychology; Patient Compliance - statistics & numerical data; PSYCHIATRY; Self-Help Groups - statistics & numerical data; Severity of Illness Index; Smoking - epidemiology; Smoking - psychology; Smoking - therapy; Smoking cessation; Smoking Cessation - methods; Smoking Cessation - psychology; Smoking Cessation - statistics & numerical data; Socioeconomic Factors; Support groups; Time Factors; Tobacco; tobacco use disorder; Tobacco Use Disorder - epidemiology; Tobacco Use Disorder - psychology; Tobacco Use Disorder - therapy
• ISSN: 2238-0019; 2238-0019
• DOI: 10.1590/2237-6089-2016-0041

The aim of this study was to determine which individual characteristics of smokers are associated with their adherence to a support group for smoking cessation. Smokers from Porto Alegre, Brazil, were invited to participate in a support group for smoking cessation consisting of four weekly sessions. Demographic data, smoking history, presence of tobacco-related diseases, severity of nicotine dependence, stage of motivation, and symptoms of anxiety and depression were evaluated at baseline. Adherence was defined as attendance at group sessions and was measured at the second and fourth sessions of the program. The study recruited 167 smokers who attended the first meeting and met criteria for admission to the study. One hundred and two of the participants returned to the second session and only 55 of those who attended the first meeting completed the four-week program. For immediate adherence (second session), adult smokers over the age of 35 were more likely to adhere to the treatment (p = 0.004), whereas smoking higher numbers of cigarettes per day was associated with lower adherence to attendance at group meetings (p = 0.031). For final adherence (fourth session), only minimal level symptoms of anxiety were associated with a higher likelihood of adherence (p = 0.02). Older smokers, those who smoked fewer cigarettes per day, and those with lower levels of anxiety exhibited higher rates of adherence to a smoking cessation support group.