The Utilization of National Tobacco Cessation Services among Female Smokers and the Need for a Gender-Responsive Approach

Abstract

Despite the steadily increasing prevalence of female smoking, gender-responsive tobacco cessation services have not been widely provided worldwide. The purpose of this study is to identify factors associated with the use of tobacco cessation services among female tobacco product users in Korea from a national perspective. We performed a logistic regression analysis using data from 663 female smokers; 11.0% of female smokers had used government-supported smoking cessation services. A logistic regression model showed a statistically significant association between the utilization of smoking cessation services and a history of pregnancy and childbirth, depression, current use of heated tobacco products and multiple tobacco products, parental smoking status and receiving advice to quit. With regard to the motivation ruler, those in their 50s reported a higher importance than those in their 20s. Weight gain concerns when quitting smoking were the lowest among the participants aged 19–29. The need to develop gender-specific smoking cessation programs is the highest among the participants aged 39–49 and the lowest among those aged 19–29. This study suggests several factors related to the utilization of national health services among female smokers. Further studies considering gender-specific needs for the development of gender-responsive tobacco cessation support are needed.

Gender Differences in Smoking Initiation and Cessation Associated with the Intergenerational Transfer of Smoking across Three Generations: The Nagahama Study

“…Regarding gender differences in smoking cessation, women are more likely to have difficulty maintaining long-term abstinence from smoking than men including those with even moderate addiction [6], those between the ages of 30 and 55 (approximately) [6], those with some smoking cessation therapy [7,8], and those who consume alcohol [9]. Some arguments have been put forward stating that the gender differences observed in clinical trials [10] cannot be translated into real-world settings [11], but a recent study on the utilization of National Tobacco Cessation Services among female smokers also suggested that further research considering gender-specific tobacco cessation support was needed [12].…”