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Use of aids for smoking cessation and alcohol reduction: A population survey of adults in England.

Authors :
Beard, Emma
Brown, Jamie
Michie, Susan
Kaner, Eileen
Meier, Petra
West, Robert
Source :
BMC Public Health; 12/8/2016, Vol. 16 Issue 1, p1-13, 13p, 4 Charts
Publication Year :
2016

Abstract

Background: It is important for policy planning to chart the methods smokers and high-risk drinkers use to help them change their behaviour. This study assessed prevalence of use, and characteristics of users, of support for smoking cessation and alcohol reduction in England. Methods: Data were used from the Smoking and Alcohol Toolkit Studies, which involve monthly face-to-face computer-assisted interviews of adults aged 16+ in England. We included data collected between June 2014 and July 2015 on 1600 smokers who had made at least one quit attempt and 911 high-risk drinkers (defined as scores >8+ on the full AUDIT or 5+ on questions 1-3 of the AUDIT-C) who had made an attempt to cut down in the past 12 months. Participants provided information on their socio-demographic characteristics and use of aids during their most recent quit attempt including pharmacotherapy, face-to-face counselling, telephone support, self-help materials (digital and printed), and complementary medicine. Results: A total of 60.3% of smokers used aids in the past year, compared with just 14.9% of high-risk drinkers. Use of pharmacotherapy was high among smokers and very low among drinkers (56.0%<subscript>versus</subscript>1.2%). Use of other aids was low for both behaviours: face-to-face counselling (2.6%<subscript>versus</subscript>4.8%), self-help materials (1.4%<subscript><subscript>versus</subscript></subscript>4.1%) and complementary medicine (1.0%<subscript>versus</subscript>0.5%). Use of aids was more common among smokers aged 25-54 compared with 16-24 year olds (25-34,OR<subscript>adj</subscript>1.49,p = 0.012; 35-44,OR<subscript>adj</subscript>1.93,p < 0.001; 35-44,OR<subscript><subscript>adj</subscript></subscript>1.93,p < 0.001; 45-54,OR<subscript>adj</subscript>1.66, p = 0.008), with cigarette consumption >10 relative to <1 (10-20,OR<subscript>adj</subscript>2.47,p = 0.011; >20,OR<subscript>adj</subscript>4.23,p = 0.001), and less common among ethnic minorities (OR<subscript>adj</subscript>0.69,p = 0.026). For alcohol reduction, use of aids was higher among ethnic minority groups (OR<subscript>adj</subscript>2.41;p = 0.015), and those of social-grade D/E relative to AB (OR<subscript>adj</subscript>2.29,p = 0.012&OR<subscript>adj</subscript>3.13,p < 0.001). Conclusion: In England, the use of pharmacotherapy is prevalent for smoking cessation but not alcohol reduction. Other aids are used at a low rate, with face-to-face counselling being more common for alcohol reduction than smoking cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
14712458
Volume :
16
Issue :
1
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
BMC Public Health
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
120338936
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-016-3862-7