Smoking cessation interventions for U.S. adults with disabilities: A systematic review

People with disabilities disproportionately use tobacco products. However, little is known about cessation interventions tailored for people with disabilities. The objective of this study was to conduct a systematic review of smoking cessation interventions for adults with disabilities.

Six electronic databases (Cochrane, CINAHL Plus [EBSCOhost], Embase [Ovid], Medline [Ovid], PsycINFO [Ovid], and Web of Science) were searched to identify eligible interventions for people with disabilities (e.g., vision, hearing, mobility, communication, cognition, self-care) through July 2023. Two independent coders evaluated the records and extracted data from studies that met inclusion criteria. Qualitative synthesis was conducted on the included studies in 2023.

One randomized controlled trial and one nonrandomized study met the inclusion criteria. Both studies used mindfulness-based procedures to reduce cigarette use in adults with mild intellectual disability. The outcome was defined as self-reported cigarette use at follow-up, which ranged from 1 year to 3 years. Limited information was provided on how the interventions were tailored to meet the unique needs of people with disabilities in either study.

Two interventions conducted in adults with mild intellectual disability showed promising results using mindfulness-based procedures; however, the studies did not address barriers reported by people with disabilities, nor tailor the interventions to meet the needs of the target population. Research is needed to address tobacco use disparities among people with a range of disabilities. Current cessation interventions would be enhanced by integrating disability identifiers alongside other demographic information in future studies and reporting subgroup analyses in adults with disabilities.