The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #72470

Yong Cui, MD, MSPH¹, Myron Towns, MD, MSPH¹, Faiza Rehman, MD, MSPH¹, Sangita Chakrabarty, MD, MSPH¹, Brenda Martin, RN², Cynthia J. Moriarty, MD, MSPH¹, and Robert S. Levine, MD¹. (1) Preventive Medicine, Meharry Medical College, 1005 DB Todd Blvd, Nashville, TN 37208, (2) Preventive Medicine, Alvin C York VA Medical Center, 3400 Lebanon Rd, Murfreesboro, TN 37129

Noncompliance with medical therapy in chronic disease has been a problem. In order to explore the potential causes of smoker noncompliance with appointment for the therapy, we examined the factors that influence smoker compliance in a scheduled appointment for the smoking cessation program in Alvin C York VA medical center. Between September 1999 and January 2002, 358 veteran smokers who were willing to quit smoking had been evaluated and scheduled for the program. Among them, 117 smokers (32.8%) were no shows for the appointment. In this study, we compared characteristics of the participants and non-participants using Logistic regression, adjusted for age, gender, race, education, and employment status. Twenty eight variables were examined, including sociodemographics, medical and psychiatric co-morbidities, smoking history and behaviors, nicotine dependence, reasons of smoking, perceived confidence to quit, etc. The results show that age > 64 years (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.35-0.84), non-working status (OR = 0.38, 95% CI = 0.08-0.78), and quite or extreme confidence to quit (OR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.32-0.89, and OR = 0.56, 95% CI = 0.33-0.96, respectively) were positive predictors of participation; whereas living with many smokers in the same household was a risk of non-participation (OR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.19-4.55). The information is helpful to develop or modify strategies for improving participation rate and effectiveness of smoking cessation program. Enrollment and evaluation are on going.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conclusion of this session, the attendees will be able to identify factors that influence smokers' participation in a veterans smoking cessation program, and discuss strategies for improving participation rate and effectiveness of the program.

Keywords: Smoking Cessation, Veterans

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.