Self-Initiated Quitting among Adolescent Smokers

Five-year prospective prediction of self-initiated quitting of cigarette smoking of high-risk youth

“…Continuation high schools enroll youth who have transferred out of the regular system due to academic or behavioral problems (e.g., lack of credits, drug use). This study provides a replication-extension of a previous 1-year follow-up study with this sample (Sussman, Dent, Severson, Burton, & Flay, 1998).…”

“…At the 5-year follow-up, subjects were again asked about their current cigarette smoking. Generally, adult and adolescent smokers smoking less than one cigarette in the last month are classified as ex-smokers (Sussman, 2002;Sussman et al, 1998). Those who reported having smoked in the last 30 days at baseline but not at follow-up were classified as "quitters", and those who reported smoking at both time points were considered "nonquitters".…”

“…A total of 28 predictors were examined, as in the Sussman et al (1998) 1-year prospective study. Also, five measures were added, to examine emerging adulthood function status correlates of having quit smoking, measured concurrently with the last wave of data collection.…”

Addressing challenges in adolescent smoking cessation: Design and baseline characteristics of the HS Group-Randomized trial

“…Additionally, the baseline survey found that infrequent smokers differed from frequent smokers with regard to their quitting behaviors and beliefs: More daily smokers at baseline had experience in trying to quit. Their past experience and knowledge in quitting could increase the probabilities of their achieving abstinence in the future (Redmond, 2002;Zhu et al, 1999); although infrequent smokers had less quitting experience than daily smokers, they reported stronger intentions not to smoke in the future, higher motivation to quit, and higher quitting self-efficacy, all strong predictors of successful quitting (Solomon et al, 2005;Redmond, 2002;Engels et al, 1998, Sussman et al, 1998Zhu et al, 1999). Interventions with either one or both of these groups of teen smokers should be tailored to capitalize on their different quitting behaviors and beliefs.…”

“…Unfortunately, their self-initiated cessation rate is low (Zhu et al, 1999;Sussman et al, 1998;Stanton et al, 1996), and quitting grows more difficult with age as the amount smoked and level of dependence increase (COMMIT, 1995; U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1989). Young smokers' desire to quit, the low rates of abstinence achieved without assistance, and the consequences of smoking into adulthood all support the need for strong, theory-based cessation interventions and rigorous randomized trials to evaluate their effectiveness.…”