One-Year Follow-up Results of Smoking Cessation Outpatient Clinic: Factors Affecting the Cessation of Smoking

Objective: The aim was to investigate the factors affecting the quitting smoking success of the patients followed in the smoking cessation outpatient clinic and the rate of quitting smoking in this clinic.
Methods: From the 320 cases who applied to the smoking cessation clinic, 241 cases with a 12 month follow-up completed between June 2011 and June 2012 were included in the study. Routine biochemical and hematological tests, respiratory function test, electrocardiography, and posteroanterior chest radiography were requested from the cases. Moreover, the cases were requested to complete the Fagerstrom nicotine dependence test, anxiety and depression assessment scale and the outpatient clinic’s form, including demographic data. The medicines taken and the duration of use were recorded. The quitting smoking success of the patients and the factors affecting this success were evaluated.
Results: Generally, at the end of the first year, the rate of quitting smoking was 37.3%. The demographic characteristics of the groups who quit smoking and who failed to quit smoking were similar. Fagerstrom dependence degree (p<0.001) and the number of cigarettes smoked at the workplace (p<0.001) were higher. The individuals included in the group who quit smoking put on more weight. Overall, 27.4% of the patients received behavioural education (BE), 56% of them received behavioural education and nicotine replacement therapy (BE+NRT), 9.5% of them received BE+Bupropion, 2.5% of them received BE+Varenicline, and 4.6% of them received BE+Bupropion+NRT treatments. The rates of quitting smoking were 15.2%, 43.7%, 52.2%, 66.7% and 45.5%, respectively. With the administration of pharmacological treatment for a sufficient time, the rates of quitting smoking rose meaningfully (p<0.001).
Conclusion: Quitting smoking is a difficult process that has to be evaluated individually for every case. In this process, the administration of sufficient behavioural education and pharmacological treatment with sufficient time for appropriate individuals will increase the success rate.