Predictive Factors for Successful Smoking Cessation in Tunisian Smokers, Sousse-Tunisia: 2015-2020

Since 2009, the unit of smoking cessation at Sahloul University Hospital - Tunisia was founded. In this context, the objective of our study was to determine the factors associated with smoking cessation in Tunisian smokers.

It was a descriptive prospective study over five-years-period 2015-2020. We included all patients who willingly came to the anti-smoking consultation of the Sahloul University hospital Sousse Tunisia. Data were collected during the consultation of all patients. We proceeded to a univariate and then multivariable analysis to identify the predictive factors of smoking cessation.

Over 5 years, we included 450 patients, mainly males (91.3%). The average age of the consultants was 46 ±15.58 years. The average age of the first cigarette among our patients was 16.83± 4.34 years. The likelihood of smoking cessation was higher among males (p=0.004, OR=9.708), patients attending minimum 3 anti-smoking consultations (p<10-3, OR=5.714), patients benefiting from nicotine replacement therapy (p=0.034, OR=2.123), with high motivation score for smoking cessation (p=0.001, OR=1.980) and with an advanced age of the first cigarette (p<10-3, OR=1.096). However, the likelihood of smoking cessation was lower among coffee and alcohol consumers (p=0.002, OR=0.252) and smokers with less than 5 years smoking habit (p=0.011, OR=0.069).

Although the decision to stop smoking is a personal one, it requires medical and psychological support as highlighted by our findings. Our study showed that assiduity and medical assistance for tobacco cessation increase smokers' chances of quitting.