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Objectives: Despite pharmacological treatments, the success of smoking cessation is still not at the desired level. Early relapse, defined as re-start smoking in the first three months, is still an important problem. This study was aimed to evaluate the risk factors for early relapse in smoking cessation.
Methods: Information regarding demographic characteristics (age, sex, marital status, occupation), comorbidities, and smoking history (age of onset, number of cigarettes ever smoked, attempts for smoking cessation, supportive treatments) were obtained from the patients who presented to the smoking cessation unit. The Hooked on Nicotine Checklist (HONC) questionnaire and the Fagerström Nicotine Dependence Test (NDT), both translated into Turkish, were administered with the necessary permission for the HONC Test. Patients were grouped as early relapsing group and quitter group. They were compared with respect to the above-mentioned characteristics.
Results: This study included a total of 175 (103 M, 72 F) patients with a mean age of 46.14±12.15, who presented to the smoking cessation unit. The age of onset for cigarette smoking was 16.98±4.99 years; the mean total smoking amount was 25.79±14.099 packs/year. Eleven patients received nicotine replacement therapy, 33 patients received bupropion and 123 patients received varenicline therapy. Of the 175 patients who were followed-up for three months, 126 (72%) were quitters and 49 (28%) of them were early relapsing patients. The characteristics of the quitters and early relapsing patients were compared. Inter-group comparisons for study parameters. In the early relapsing group, the total smoking amount was greater (p=0.03); HONC score was higher (p=0.001); the rate of attempts to quit smoking was lower (p=0.04); the rate of pharmacological tretment (p=0.04) was lower; and the rate of living with other smokers at home (p=0.009) and at work (p=0.012) was higher.
Conclusion: Early relapse is associated with a lower educational level, and a higher smoking rate. These patients have a lower autonomy over smoking and their smoking cessation attempts are less. The rate of living with other smokers at home and at work are the risk factors for early relapse. These group of patients have different characteristics and treatment planning for these patients should be evaluated differently.