What distinguishes successful from unsuccessful tobacco smoking cessation? Data from a study of young adults (TEMPO)

Introduction Smoking prevalence rates among young people are high in many countries. Although attempts to quit smoking increasingly occur in young adulthood, many former smokers relapse. We compared individuals who successfully quit smoking from those who relapsed on socio-demographic, psychological and health factors. Methods Data come from telephone interviews conducted in 2011 with participants of the TEMPO community-based study (ages 18–37 years, France). To study the likelihood of successful cessation vs. smoking relapse, we restricted the study sample to current or former smokers (n = 600) and conducted multinomial logistic regression analyses. Results 43% of participants were current smokers who never quit for an extended period and, 33% former smokers and 24% current smokers who relapsed after extended cessation. In multivariate analyses female sex, parental status and illegal drug use were associated with both successful and unsuccessful smoking cessation. Factors specifically associated with a low probability of smoking cessation were job strain and symptoms of hyperactivity/inattention, while occupational grade was associated with smoking relapse. Conclusions Work and family circumstances, co-occurring substance use and psychological difficulties may influence smoking cessation in young adults. These characteristics should be considered by individual and collective interventions aiming to help young smokers quit successfully.