Premium
Effectiveness of stop‐smoking medications: findings from the I nternational T obacco C ontrol ( ITC ) F our C ountry S urvey
Author(s) -
Kasza Karin A.,
Hyland Andrew J.,
Borland Ron,
McNeill Ann D.,
BansalTravers Maansi,
Fix Brian V.,
Hammond David,
Fong Geoffrey T.,
Cummings K. Michael
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
addiction
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.424
H-Index - 193
eISSN - 1360-0443
pISSN - 0965-2140
DOI - 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.04009.x
Subject(s) - varenicline , abstinence , medicine , confidence interval , odds ratio , smoking cessation , population , nicotine , demography , psychiatry , environmental health , pathology , sociology
Aim To evaluate the population effectiveness of stop‐smoking medications while accounting for potential recall bias by controlling for quit attempt recency. Design Prospective cohort survey. Setting U nited K ingdom, C anada, A ustralia and the U nited S tates. Participants A total of 7436 adult smokers (18+ years) selected via random digit dialling and interviewed as part of the I nternational T obacco C ontrol F our C ountry S urvey ( ITC ‐4) between 2002 and 2009. Primary analyses utilized the subset of respondents who participated in 2006 or later ( n = 2550). Measurements Continuous abstinence from smoking for 1 month/6 months. Findings Among participants who recalled making a quit attempt within 1 month of interview, those who reported using varenicline, bupropion or nicotine patch were more likely to maintain 6‐month continuous abstinence from smoking compared to those who attempted to quit without medication [adjusted odds ratio ( OR) 5.84, 95% confidence interval ( CI ) (2.12–16.12), 3.94 (0.87–17.80), 4.09 (1.72–9.74), respectively]; there were no clear effects for oral NRT use. Those who did not use any medication when attempting to quit tended to be younger, to be racial/ethnic minorities, to have lower incomes and to believe that medications do not make quitting easier. Conclusions Consistent with evidence from randomized controlled trials, smokers in the United Kingdom, C anada, A ustralia and the United States are more likely to succeed in quit attempts if they use varenicline, bupropion or nicotine patch. Previous population studies that failed to find an effect failed to control adequately for important sources of bias.