Weight concerns make women less likely to quit smoking

A study was carried out at University of Illinois at Chicago by lead author Ce Shang to examine the influence of anti-smoking policies on women smokers who hold on to a belief that smoking reduces weight.

The researchers examined about 10, 000 smokers in the US, Canada, the UK and Australia as part of the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project. Respondents completed three surveys between 2002 and 2007 that asked questions on whether they agreed with the statement that smoking helps control weight; on their attempts to quit smoking; and on their exposure to tobacco policies such as price, anti-smoking messaging, and smoking bans at work or in public.

For female smokers who did not believe that smoking helps control weight, a 10 percent increase in cigarettes price was associated with a 6 percent rise in attempts to quit, while women who thought smoking does help control weight did not significantly increase their attempts to quit in response to a price increase. Also, the anti-smoking messages worked in women smokers who do not hold the weight control belief. For every 10% increase in anti-smoking messages, 12% increase in quit attempts are seen.

The researchers found similar patterns among smokers in the UK, but no differences in attempts to quit that correlated to the belief about weight-control in smokers of either gender in Australia or Canada.

Some studies states smoking reduces body weight and some researchers believe that smoking actually promotes weight gain. The women who are concerned about their weight are less likely to quit smoking according to the study published online in the journal Tobacco Control.

AW: Lizitha