Age as a predictor of quit attempts and quit success in smoking cessation: findings from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country survey (2002–14)

Lauren Arancini; Ron Borland; Michael Le Grande; Mohammadreza Mohebbi; Seetal Dodd; Olivia M. Dean; Michael Berk; Ann McNeill; Geoffrey T. Fong; K. Michael Cummings

doi:10.1111/add.15454

Age as a predictor of quit attempts and quit success in smoking cessation: findings from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country survey (2002–14)

Lauren Arancini, Ron Borland^*, Michael Le Grande, Mohammadreza Mohebbi, Seetal Dodd, Olivia M. Dean, Michael Berk, Ann McNeill, Geoffrey T. Fong, K. Michael Cummings

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

30 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Background and Aims: Past research has found that young smokers are more likely to make quit attempts; however, there are conflicting findings regarding age and quit success. This study examined the degree to which smoker age is related to making quit attempts and quit success. Design: Ten waves of the International Tobacco Control Policy Cohort survey (ITC-4C) collected between 2002 and 2014, with nine wave-to-wave transitions with predictors at the first wave predicting quit attempts and success by the next wave. Setting: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Participants: Data from 15 874 smokers categorized into four age groups at baseline (18–24, 25–39, 40–54 and 55+ years). Measurements: Age, quit attempts and success (defined as ≥ 30 days abstinence confirmed, if possible, on a third wave for recent attempts). Findings: Older smokers were more likely to smoke daily (χ² = 1557.86, r = 0.136, P < 0.001) than younger smokers. Daily smokers were less likely to report quit attempts (38.1 versus 58.2%) and to achieve 30 days of abstinence (22.9 versus 34.3%) than non-daily smokers. Older daily smokers were less likely to make quit attempts [0.61, confidence interval (CI) = 0.54–0.70, P < 0.001], even after controlling for indicators of nicotine dependence, country, sex, education, income, relationship status and household composition, than younger smokers. Younger smokers (< 25) were more likely to succeed for at least 30 days of abstinence, but only when compared with those aged 40–54 (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.68–0.99). However, when controlling for heaviness of smoking the age effect disappeared. Significant interactions with age were found between age and intention when predicting quit attempts, and age and heaviness of smoking when predicting quit success. Conclusions: An international cohort study indicates that young smokers are more likely to attempt to quit and appear to have similar levels of success in abstaining from smoking compared with older smokers when controlling for dependence. Quit success in all ages is most predicted by lower levels of nicotine dependence.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2509-2520
Number of pages	12
Journal	Addiction
Volume	116
Issue number	9
Early online date	23 Mar 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/add.15454
Publication status	Published - Sept 2021

Keywords

age
nicotine
predictors
quitting
Smoking cessation
tobacco

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1111/add.15454

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@article{4b7572a496ce4b86910f17df3b31f8e1,

title = "Age as a predictor of quit attempts and quit success in smoking cessation: findings from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country survey (2002–14)",

abstract = "Background and Aims: Past research has found that young smokers are more likely to make quit attempts; however, there are conflicting findings regarding age and quit success. This study examined the degree to which smoker age is related to making quit attempts and quit success. Design: Ten waves of the International Tobacco Control Policy Cohort survey (ITC-4C) collected between 2002 and 2014, with nine wave-to-wave transitions with predictors at the first wave predicting quit attempts and success by the next wave. Setting: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Participants: Data from 15 874 smokers categorized into four age groups at baseline (18–24, 25–39, 40–54 and 55+ years). Measurements: Age, quit attempts and success (defined as ≥ 30 days abstinence confirmed, if possible, on a third wave for recent attempts). Findings: Older smokers were more likely to smoke daily (χ2 = 1557.86, r = 0.136, P < 0.001) than younger smokers. Daily smokers were less likely to report quit attempts (38.1 versus 58.2%) and to achieve 30 days of abstinence (22.9 versus 34.3%) than non-daily smokers. Older daily smokers were less likely to make quit attempts [0.61, confidence interval (CI) = 0.54–0.70, P < 0.001], even after controlling for indicators of nicotine dependence, country, sex, education, income, relationship status and household composition, than younger smokers. Younger smokers (< 25) were more likely to succeed for at least 30 days of abstinence, but only when compared with those aged 40–54 (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.68–0.99). However, when controlling for heaviness of smoking the age effect disappeared. Significant interactions with age were found between age and intention when predicting quit attempts, and age and heaviness of smoking when predicting quit success. Conclusions: An international cohort study indicates that young smokers are more likely to attempt to quit and appear to have similar levels of success in abstaining from smoking compared with older smokers when controlling for dependence. Quit success in all ages is most predicted by lower levels of nicotine dependence.",

keywords = "age, nicotine, predictors, quitting, Smoking cessation, tobacco",

author = "Lauren Arancini and Ron Borland and {Le Grande}, Michael and Mohammadreza Mohebbi and Seetal Dodd and Dean, {Olivia M.} and Michael Berk and Ann McNeill and Fong, {Geoffrey T.} and Cummings, {K. Michael}",

note = "Funding Information: The ITC Four‐Country Survey (Australia, Canada, United States and United Kingdom) was supported by grants from the US National Cancer Institute (R01 CA100362, R01 CA090955, P50 CA111236 (Roswell Park Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center) and P01 CA138389), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (045734), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP‐57897, MOP‐79551, MOP‐115016), Australia Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative (014578), the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (265903, 450110, 1005922) and Cancer Research UK (C312/A3726, C312/A6465, C321/A11039, C25586/A19540). G.T.F. was also supported by a Senior Investigator Award from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. A.M. is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Funding Information: The ITC Four-Country Survey (Australia, Canada, United States and United Kingdom) was supported by grants from the US National Cancer Institute (R01 CA100362, R01 CA090955, P50 CA111236 (Roswell Park Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center) and P01 CA138389), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (045734), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-57897, MOP-79551, MOP-115016), Australia Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative (014578), the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (265903, 450110, 1005922) and Cancer Research UK (C312/A3726, C312/A6465, C321/A11039, C25586/A19540). G.T.F. was also supported by a Senior Investigator Award from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. A.M. is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021 Society for the Study of Addiction",

year = "2021",

month = sep,

doi = "10.1111/add.15454",

language = "English",

volume = "116",

pages = "2509--2520",

journal = "Addiction",

issn = "0965-2140",

publisher = "Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd",

number = "9",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Age as a predictor of quit attempts and quit success in smoking cessation

T2 - findings from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country survey (2002–14)

AU - Arancini, Lauren

AU - Borland, Ron

AU - Le Grande, Michael

AU - Mohebbi, Mohammadreza

AU - Dodd, Seetal

AU - Dean, Olivia M.

AU - Berk, Michael

AU - McNeill, Ann

AU - Fong, Geoffrey T.

AU - Cummings, K. Michael

N1 - Funding Information: The ITC Four‐Country Survey (Australia, Canada, United States and United Kingdom) was supported by grants from the US National Cancer Institute (R01 CA100362, R01 CA090955, P50 CA111236 (Roswell Park Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center) and P01 CA138389), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (045734), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP‐57897, MOP‐79551, MOP‐115016), Australia Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative (014578), the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (265903, 450110, 1005922) and Cancer Research UK (C312/A3726, C312/A6465, C321/A11039, C25586/A19540). G.T.F. was also supported by a Senior Investigator Award from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. A.M. is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Funding Information: The ITC Four-Country Survey (Australia, Canada, United States and United Kingdom) was supported by grants from the US National Cancer Institute (R01 CA100362, R01 CA090955, P50 CA111236 (Roswell Park Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center) and P01 CA138389), Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (045734), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (MOP-57897, MOP-79551, MOP-115016), Australia Commonwealth Department of Health and Ageing, the Canadian Tobacco Control Research Initiative (014578), the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (265903, 450110, 1005922) and Cancer Research UK (C312/A3726, C312/A6465, C321/A11039, C25586/A19540). G.T.F. was also supported by a Senior Investigator Award from the Ontario Institute for Cancer Research. A.M. is a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator. The views expressed in this article are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. Publisher Copyright: © 2021 Society for the Study of Addiction

PY - 2021/9

Y1 - 2021/9

N2 - Background and Aims: Past research has found that young smokers are more likely to make quit attempts; however, there are conflicting findings regarding age and quit success. This study examined the degree to which smoker age is related to making quit attempts and quit success. Design: Ten waves of the International Tobacco Control Policy Cohort survey (ITC-4C) collected between 2002 and 2014, with nine wave-to-wave transitions with predictors at the first wave predicting quit attempts and success by the next wave. Setting: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Participants: Data from 15 874 smokers categorized into four age groups at baseline (18–24, 25–39, 40–54 and 55+ years). Measurements: Age, quit attempts and success (defined as ≥ 30 days abstinence confirmed, if possible, on a third wave for recent attempts). Findings: Older smokers were more likely to smoke daily (χ2 = 1557.86, r = 0.136, P < 0.001) than younger smokers. Daily smokers were less likely to report quit attempts (38.1 versus 58.2%) and to achieve 30 days of abstinence (22.9 versus 34.3%) than non-daily smokers. Older daily smokers were less likely to make quit attempts [0.61, confidence interval (CI) = 0.54–0.70, P < 0.001], even after controlling for indicators of nicotine dependence, country, sex, education, income, relationship status and household composition, than younger smokers. Younger smokers (< 25) were more likely to succeed for at least 30 days of abstinence, but only when compared with those aged 40–54 (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.68–0.99). However, when controlling for heaviness of smoking the age effect disappeared. Significant interactions with age were found between age and intention when predicting quit attempts, and age and heaviness of smoking when predicting quit success. Conclusions: An international cohort study indicates that young smokers are more likely to attempt to quit and appear to have similar levels of success in abstaining from smoking compared with older smokers when controlling for dependence. Quit success in all ages is most predicted by lower levels of nicotine dependence.

AB - Background and Aims: Past research has found that young smokers are more likely to make quit attempts; however, there are conflicting findings regarding age and quit success. This study examined the degree to which smoker age is related to making quit attempts and quit success. Design: Ten waves of the International Tobacco Control Policy Cohort survey (ITC-4C) collected between 2002 and 2014, with nine wave-to-wave transitions with predictors at the first wave predicting quit attempts and success by the next wave. Setting: Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom and Australia. Participants: Data from 15 874 smokers categorized into four age groups at baseline (18–24, 25–39, 40–54 and 55+ years). Measurements: Age, quit attempts and success (defined as ≥ 30 days abstinence confirmed, if possible, on a third wave for recent attempts). Findings: Older smokers were more likely to smoke daily (χ2 = 1557.86, r = 0.136, P < 0.001) than younger smokers. Daily smokers were less likely to report quit attempts (38.1 versus 58.2%) and to achieve 30 days of abstinence (22.9 versus 34.3%) than non-daily smokers. Older daily smokers were less likely to make quit attempts [0.61, confidence interval (CI) = 0.54–0.70, P < 0.001], even after controlling for indicators of nicotine dependence, country, sex, education, income, relationship status and household composition, than younger smokers. Younger smokers (< 25) were more likely to succeed for at least 30 days of abstinence, but only when compared with those aged 40–54 (OR = 0.83, 95% CI = 0.68–0.99). However, when controlling for heaviness of smoking the age effect disappeared. Significant interactions with age were found between age and intention when predicting quit attempts, and age and heaviness of smoking when predicting quit success. Conclusions: An international cohort study indicates that young smokers are more likely to attempt to quit and appear to have similar levels of success in abstaining from smoking compared with older smokers when controlling for dependence. Quit success in all ages is most predicted by lower levels of nicotine dependence.

KW - age

KW - nicotine

KW - predictors

KW - quitting

KW - Smoking cessation

KW - tobacco

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U2 - 10.1111/add.15454

DO - 10.1111/add.15454

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:85102940029

SN - 0965-2140

VL - 116

SP - 2509

EP - 2520

JO - Addiction

JF - Addiction

IS - 9

ER -

Age as a predictor of quit attempts and quit success in smoking cessation: findings from the International Tobacco Control Four-Country survey (2002–14)

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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