The Association of Peer Smoking Behavior and Social Support with Quit Success in Employees Who Participated in a Smoking Cessation Intervention at the Workplace

Abstract

The current study investigated whether quit success among employees who participated in a smoking cessation intervention at the workplace was associated with social support from, and the smoking behavior of, people in their environment. Tobacco-smoking employees (n = 604) from 61 companies participated in a workplace group smoking cessation program. Participants completed questionnaires assessing social support from, and the smoking behavior of, people in their social environment. They were also tested for biochemically validated continuous abstinence directly after finishing the training and after 12 months. The data were analyzed using mixed-effects logistic regression analyses. Social support from colleagues was positively associated with 12-month quit success (odds ratio (OR) = 1.85, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.14–3.00, p = 0.013). Support from a partner was positively associated with short-term quit success (OR = 2.01, 95% CI = 1.23–3.30, p = 0.006). Having a higher proportion of smokers in the social environment was negatively associated with long-term abstinence (OR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.71–0.92, p = 0.002). Compared to having a non-smoking partner, long-term quit success was negatively associated with having no partner (OR = 0.48, 95% CI = 0.26–0.88, p < 0.019), with having a partner who smokes (OR = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.24–0.66, p < 0.001), and with having a partner who used to smoke (OR = 0.47, 95% CI = 0.26–0.86, p = 0.014). In conclusion, people in a smoker’s social environment, particularly colleagues, were strongly associated with quit success. The workplace may, therefore, be a favorable setting for smoking cessation interventions.

Factors affecting success and abstinence within a smoking cessation clinic: A one-year follow-up study in Turkey

“…Smoking cessation rates are, in principle, higher in the early stages than in the late period 3 , 12 . In the present study, the rate of those who started smoking again after giving up smoking for a certain period at the end of treatment was 26.8%.…”

“…The rate of the patients who quit smoking during the first year of treatment was 61.9% while 26.8% started smoking again. According to previous research, the success of smoking cessation at the end of the first year varies between 19-48% 3,4,[8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15] . The variable ratios in these studies may depend on many factors.…”

“…There are studies showing that living with smokers in the same house reduces smoking cessation success and living with a partner who never smoked seems to be a factor that can prevent smoking relapse 12 , 14 . In the present study, living with smokers in the same house did not influence smoking cessation success.…”

“…In another study, stress and excessive desire to smoke were the most common reasons for starting smoking again after quitting 13 . In a study, it was shown that polyclinic controls reduce the risk of relapse and that high relapses are associated with mental health problems and having a smoking partner 12 , 26 . In our study, the most common reason for relapse was the inability to continue treatment, and then the lack of motivation and general stress.…”

Reasons for and Scenarios Associated With Failure to Cease Smoking: Results From a Qualitative Study Among Smokers Who Had Unsuccessfully Attempted to Quit

“…On the other hand, support from non-smoking life partners and family members has been found to play a large positive role in successfully quitting smoking [54][55][56]. Further, living with a non-smoker or someone who has quit smoking in the past has a particularly bene cial impact [15,57].…”