Knowing quitters predicts smoking cessation in a homeless population

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Science
• Addiction Research

Background:

• Smoking remains a significant public health issue, particularly among vulnerable populations like the homeless.
• Social support networks play a critical role in behavior change, including smoking cessation.
• Understanding factors that promote cessation in homeless smokers is essential for developing effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of knowing individuals who have successfully quit smoking on the cessation rates among homeless smokers.
• To determine if social connections with former smokers act as a catalyst for smoking abstinence in this demographic.

Main Methods:

• Secondary analysis of data from a community-based randomized controlled trial involving 430 homeless smokers.
• Multivariable logistic regression was employed to assess the association between knowing quitters and smoking cessation.
• Smoking cessation was biochemically verified using salivary cotinine levels (≤ 20 ng/ml) at a 26-week follow-up.

Main Results:

• Smokers who knew five or more former smokers were significantly more likely to achieve smoking cessation compared to those who knew no quitters (Odds Ratio = 3.79, p = .008).
• This association remained significant after adjusting for covariates including age, education, income, and time to first cigarette.
• The findings highlight a dose-response relationship between the number of known quitters and cessation success.

Conclusions:

• Knowledge of former smokers is positively associated with increased likelihood of achieving smoking abstinence among homeless individuals.
• Leveraging social networks and peer support from quitters may be a viable strategy to enhance smoking cessation interventions for homeless populations.
• Further research should explore the mechanisms through which social connections with quitters facilitate smoking cessation in marginalized communities.