The role of gender in a smoking cessation intervention: a cluster randomized clinical trial

The prevalence of smoking in Spain is high in both men and women. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of gender in the effectiveness of a specific smoking cessation intervention conducted in Spain.

This study was a secondary analysis of a cluster randomized clinical trial in which the randomization unit was the Basic Care Unit (family physician and nurse who care for the same group of patients). The intervention consisted of a six-month period of implementing the recommendations of a Clinical Practice Guideline. A total of 2,937 current smokers at 82 Primary Care Centers in 13 different regions of Spain were included (2003-2005). The success rate was measured by a six-month continued abstinence rate at the one-year follow-up. A logistic mixed-effects regression model, taking Basic Care Units as random-effect parameter, was performed in order to analyze gender as a predictor of smoking cessation.

At the one-year follow-up, the six-month continuous abstinence quit rate was 9.4% in men and 8.5% in women (p = 0.400). The logistic mixed-effects regression model showed that women did not have a higher odds of being an ex-smoker than men after the analysis was adjusted for confounders (OR adjusted = 0.9, 95% CI = 0.7-1.2).

Gender does not appear to be a predictor of smoking cessation at the one-year follow-up in individuals presenting at Primary Care Centers. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV IDENTIFIER: NCT00125905.