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Smoking cessation among Norwegian adolescents and young adults: preferred cessation methods
Author(s) -
WIIUM NORA,
ØVERLAND SIMON,
AARØ LEIF E.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
scandinavian journal of psychology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.743
H-Index - 72
eISSN - 1467-9450
pISSN - 0036-5564
DOI - 10.1111/j.1467-9450.2010.00851.x
Subject(s) - smoking cessation , norwegian , snus , medicine , young adult , demography , nicotine , psychiatry , psychology , environmental health , tobacco use , gerontology , population , smokeless tobacco , philosophy , linguistics , pathology , sociology
Wiium, N., Øverland, S. & Aarø, L.E. (2011). Smoking cessation among Norwegian adolescents and young adults: preferred cessation methods. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology 52 , 154–160. Despite generally declining smoking rates, particularly among young people, a large number of people remain smokers and many young people still pick up smoking. Helping smokers quit therefore remains a high priority for the public health sector. In the present study we examined adolescents and young adults’ preferences regarding cessation methods and if these differed between genders and depended on smoking frequency. The data came from a nationally representative survey in Norway among 16–20 year olds. Only regular (weekly and daily) smokers were included in the statistical analyses ( n = 509, 51% females). The findings suggest that the majority of both male (83.6%) and female (78.4%) smokers would prefer to quit smoking without help. More males than females reported that they would consider using snus as a cessation aid, while females more often reported willingness to attend cessation classes or use brochures and diaries as cessation aids. Both males and females had similar preferences albeit low, regarding the use of health services, nicotine gum or patches and internet and sms‐services to quit smoking. Daily smokers would more often than weekly smokers prefer to attend cessation classes, seek help from health services, use nicotine gum or patches or use brochures and diaries. In contrast, weekly smokers preferred to use snus as a cessation aid more often than daily smokers. Identifying and making appropriate cessation methods attractive may lead to successful quitting and consequently public health gains.