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Wiley InterScience

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Volume 54 Issue 3, Pages 466 - 471

Published Online: 10 Feb 2006

Journal compilation 2010 The American Geriatrics Society/Wiley Periodicals, Inc.



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Patterns and Predictors of Smoking Cessation in an Elderly Cohort
Heather E. Whitson, MD * , Mitchell T. Heflin, MD * , and Bruce M. Burchett, PhD
From the Departments of  *Internal Medicine and  Psychiatry, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina. Funded by a Haynes Housestaff Research Award. Preliminary results presented at Presidential Poster Session, 04 annual meeting of the American Geriatrics Society.
 Address correspondence to Heather Whitson, DUMC Box 3003, Durham, NC 27710. E-mail: heather.whitson@duke.edu
Copyright © 2006 by the American Geriatrics Society
KEYWORDS
smoking cessation • predictors • elderly • prevention • mortality

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: To identify subject characteristics that predict smoking cessation and describe patterns of cessation and recidivism in a cohort of elderly smokers.

DESIGN: Prospective cohort study.

SETTING: Piedmont region, North Carolina.

PARTICIPANTS: Five hundred seventy-three subjects enrolled in the North Carolina Established Populations for Epidemiologic Studies of the Elderly who responded "yes" to question 179 on the baseline survey (Do you smoke cigarettes regularly now?) and survived at least 3 years, until the next in-person follow-up (1989/90). Subjects were classified as quitters (n=100) or nonquitters (n=473) based on subsequent smoking behavior.

MEASUREMENTS: Reported smoking behavior, demographic characteristics of the smokers at baseline or subsequent interviews, 7-year mortality.

RESULTS: After controlling for all characteristics studied, subjects who quit smoking were more likely to be female (P=.03) and showed a trend toward greater likelihood of a recent cancer diagnosis (P=.11). Recidivism was observed in only 16% (19/119) of subjects who reported no smoking in 1989/90. The percentage of subjects who died during 7 years of follow-up was 44.0% of quitters, compared with 51.6% of nonquitters. Smoking cessation was not associated with a statistically significant decrease in risk of death after controlling for other variables (odds ratio=0.78, 95% confidence interval=0.48–1.26).

CONCLUSION: Smoking cessation in this elderly cohort was associated with different subject characteristics from those that predict successful cessation in younger populations, suggesting that older smokers may have unique reasons to stop smoking. Further study is needed to assess potential motives and benefits associated with smoking cessation at an advanced age.


DIGITAL OBJECT IDENTIFIER (DOI)
10.1111/j.1532-5415.2005.00641.x About DOI

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