BACKGROUND: We established the first Hong Kong gender-specific smoking cessation services for female smokers in 2006 when the female smoking prevalence increased with the increasing population. We examined the changes and predictors of intention to quit, self-reported quit rate, and sustained abstinence among female smokers after receiving the smoking cessation services.
METHODS: This was a longitudinal study of 1019 current female smokers who used gender-specific smoking cessation services. Telephone surveys were conducted at baseline, 1-week, 3-month, and 6-month to assess the changes in smoking status and other risk factors. Intention to quit smoking (quit within 30 days), 7-day point prevalence of abstinence, and sustained abstinence (number of days of abstinence since the first quit attempt) were documented. Generalized estimating equations were applied to explore the predictors of the quitting process at 6-month follow-up for multiple time points.
RESULTS: The mean (SD) age of female smokers was 38.2 years (±10.4). The mean daily cigarette consumption was 13.9 (±8.1), and the mean age of started smoking was 18.3 years (±5.3). 29.6% were living with smokers in the same household, and 33.3% had a partner who smoked. At 6-month follow-up, the intention to quit smoking was 38.9% (vs. 39.3% at 1-week), 7-day point prevalence quit rate was 23.4% (vs. 11.1% at 1-week), and sustained abstinence was 84.8 days (vs. 5.4 days at 1-week). Higher daily cigarette consumption, high nicotine dependency level, living with smokers, and having a smoking partner at baseline significantly predicted lower sustained abstinence at 6-month follow-up (all P< 0.001).
CONCLUSIONS: We provided some evidence for the effectiveness of gender-specific smoking cessation services for female smokers. During the first week of abstinence, intensive monitoring of cigarette consumption and withdrawal symptoms and booster counseling are needed to prevent smoking relapse among female smokers.