Serious quit attempts and cessation implications for Asian American male smokers

Smoking prevalence remains high among Asian American immigrant men, particularly those with limited English proficiency. Understanding ways to promote serious quit attempts (defined as a quit attempt lasting at least 24 h) could be crucial for reducing tobacco-related health disparities in this population. This study examines correlates of serious past year quit attempts among Chinese and Vietnamese American male daily smokers.

Baseline survey data were collected between 2015 and 2017 from a lifestyle intervention trial (N = 340 Chinese and Vietnamese male daily smokers). Data analysis was conducted in 2019. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify factors associated with serious past year quit attempts.

Less than half (43.2%) of the study participants had at least one serious past year quit attempt. Significant correlates of serious quit attempts included utilizing evidence-based methods (OR = 12.83, 95% CI 5.17-31.84) or other methods (OR = 3.92, 95% CI 3.92-13.73) to facilitate quitting compared to those who did not attempt to quit. Also, participants who had a physician encounter in the past year were more likely to have had a serious quit attempt (OR = 2.25, 95% CI 1.12-4.53). Discussing smoking during a past year doctor's visit, however, was not a significant correlate of serious quit attempts.

Our findings underscore the importance of promoting the use of smoking cessation resources, and potentially utilizing healthcare encounters to facilitate cessation. Investigations are warranted to understand better how patient-physician interactions can enhance smoking cessation.