Resilience is associated with importance of quitting in homeless adult smokers

• Published in: Addictive behaviors 2020-11, Vol.110, p.106515-106515, Article 106515
• Main Authors: Akande, Morayo, Cioe, Patricia A., Glasser, Irene, Hirsch, Eric
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Cross-Sectional Studies; Homeless Persons; Homelessness; Humans; New England; Resilience; Smokers; Smoking; Smoking Cessation
• ISSN: 0306-4603; 1873-6327
• DOI: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106515

•Smoking disproportionately affects homeless adults compared to the general public.•Building resilience could greatly reduce smoking prevalence in homeless populations.•Many homeless smokers want to quit but encounter unique barriers.•Resilience levels were significantly correlated with importance of quitting. The prevalence of cigarette smoking in homeless populations is disproportionately high with rates between 57 and 80%. Resilience may affect a smoker’s ability to successfully quit smoking. This cross-sectional study examined the association between resilience levels and smoking behaviors in homeless adults. Fifty-nine homeless adults were recruited from a large multi-service homelessness agency in the northeast United States. Surveys were administered to measure smoking behaviors and resilience. Most participants were current smokers (83.1%), with more than half (67.1%) identifying as “moderate smokers” (smoking 10–20 cigarettes per day). Of the current smokers, 93.9% reported smoking daily and 71.4% had tried to quit at least once in their lifetime. The number of quit attempts was significantly (p