Emma Beard1,2, Jamie Brown3,4, Susan Michie3, Eileen Kaner5, Petra Meier6, Robert West4. 1. Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK. e.beard@ucl.ac.uk. 2. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK. e.beard@ucl.ac.uk. 3. Research Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, UK. 4. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, University College London, London, UK. 5. Institute of Health & Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle, UK. 6. ScHARR, The University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: It is important for policy planning to chart the methods smokers and high-risk drinkers use to help them change their behaviour. This study assessed prevalence of use, and characteristics of users, of support for smoking cessation and alcohol reduction in England. METHODS: Data were used from the Smoking and Alcohol Toolkit Studies, which involve monthly face-to-face computer-assisted interviews of adults aged 16+ in England. We included data collected between June 2014 and July 2015 on 1600 smokers who had made at least one quit attempt and 911 high-risk drinkers (defined as scores >8+ on the full AUDIT or 5+ on questions 1-3 of the AUDIT-C) who had made an attempt to cut down in the past 12 months. Participants provided information on their socio-demographic characteristics and use of aids during their most recent quit attempt including pharmacotherapy, face-to-face counselling, telephone support, self-help materials (digital and printed), and complementary medicine. RESULTS: A total of 60.3% of smokers used aids in the past year, compared with just 14.9% of high-risk drinkers. Use of pharmacotherapy was high among smokers and very low among drinkers (56.0%versus1.2%). Use of other aids was low for both behaviours: face-to-face counselling (2.6%versus4.8%), self-help materials (1.4%versus4.1%) and complementary medicine (1.0%versus0.5%). Use of aids was more common among smokers aged 25-54 compared with 16-24 year olds (25-34,ORadj1.49,p = 0.012; 35-44,ORadj1.93,p < 0.001; 35-44,ORadj1.93,p < 0.001; 45-54,ORadj1.66,p = 0.008), with cigarette consumption >10 relative to <1 (10-20,ORadj2.47,p = 0.011; >20,ORadj4.23,p = 0.001), and less common among ethnic minorities (ORadj0.69,p = 0.026). For alcohol reduction, use of aids was higher among ethnic minority groups (ORadj2.41;p = 0.015), and those of social-grade D/E relative to AB (ORadj2.29,p = 0.012&ORadj3.13,p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In England, the use of pharmacotherapy is prevalent for smoking cessation but not alcohol reduction. Other aids are used at a low rate, with face-to-face counselling being more common for alcohol reduction than smoking cessation.
BACKGROUND: It is important for policy planning to chart the methods smokers and high-risk drinkers use to help them change their behaviour. This study assessed prevalence of use, and characteristics of users, of support for smoking cessation and alcohol reduction in England. METHODS: Data were used from the Smoking and Alcohol Toolkit Studies, which involve monthly face-to-face computer-assisted interviews of adults aged 16+ in England. We included data collected between June 2014 and July 2015 on 1600 smokers who had made at least one quit attempt and 911 high-risk drinkers (defined as scores >8+ on the full AUDIT or 5+ on questions 1-3 of the AUDIT-C) who had made an attempt to cut down in the past 12 months. Participants provided information on their socio-demographic characteristics and use of aids during their most recent quit attempt including pharmacotherapy, face-to-face counselling, telephone support, self-help materials (digital and printed), and complementary medicine. RESULTS: A total of 60.3% of smokers used aids in the past year, compared with just 14.9% of high-risk drinkers. Use of pharmacotherapy was high among smokers and very low among drinkers (56.0%versus1.2%). Use of other aids was low for both behaviours: face-to-face counselling (2.6%versus4.8%), self-help materials (1.4%versus4.1%) and complementary medicine (1.0%versus0.5%). Use of aids was more common among smokers aged 25-54 compared with 16-24 year olds (25-34,ORadj1.49,p = 0.012; 35-44,ORadj1.93,p < 0.001; 35-44,ORadj1.93,p < 0.001; 45-54,ORadj1.66,p = 0.008), with cigarette consumption >10 relative to <1 (10-20,ORadj2.47,p = 0.011; >20,ORadj4.23,p = 0.001), and less common among ethnic minorities (ORadj0.69,p = 0.026). For alcohol reduction, use of aids was higher among ethnic minority groups (ORadj2.41;p = 0.015), and those of social-grade D/E relative to AB (ORadj2.29,p = 0.012&ORadj3.13,p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: In England, the use of pharmacotherapy is prevalent for smoking cessation but not alcohol reduction. Other aids are used at a low rate, with face-to-face counselling being more common for alcohol reduction than smoking cessation.
Authors: Emma Beard; Robert West; Fabiana Lorencatto; Ben Gardner; Susan Michie; Lesley Owens; Lion Shahab Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-04-17 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Kei-Long Cheung; Ben F M Wijnen; Mickaël Hiligsmann; Kathryn Coyle; Doug Coyle; Subhash Pokhrel; Hein de Vries; Maximilian Präger; Silvia M A A Evers Journal: Addiction Date: 2017-12-15 Impact factor: 6.526
Authors: Emma Beard; Jamie Brown; Robert West; Colin Drummond; Eileen Kaner; Susan Michie Journal: Int J Environ Res Public Health Date: 2019-10-02 Impact factor: 3.390