Quit attempts, use of smoking cessation treatments and quitting intention among treatment seekers in rural areas.

Abstract

The aim of the study was to explore quit attempts, use of smoking cessation treatments, quitting intention, and associated factors among rural residents seeking smoking cessation treatment in New South Wales, Australia. The study involved adult rural or remote residents who enrolled in a randomized trial of smoking cessation treatment (n = 1244) and completed an online baseline survey assessing quit attempts, quitting intention, and prior use of smoking cessation treatments, with multivariable logistic regressions used to examine associations and derive odds ratios. The results indicated that almost half (48.3%) of participants made a quit attempt in the last 12 months, and 44.6% intended to quit in the next 30 days. Women, Australian-born participants, and those with moderate or high nicotine dependence had significantly lower odds of making a quit attempt. Among those who had ever made a quit attempt, most used pharmacotherapies (82.2%) or behavioral interventions (68.3%). Participants with moderate or high nicotine dependence and chronic conditions had greater odds of using pharmacotherapy, while daily or almost daily alcohol drinkers had lower odds. Those with moderate or high nicotine dependence, university education, financial stress, and anxiety had greater odds of using behavioral treatments, whereas those with depression had lower odds. The study concluded that certain sub-groups of rural residents had lower odds of using smoking cessation treatments, highlighting the need to understand specific barriers that hinder treatment use among these populations.