Changes in self-efficacy associated with success in quitting smoking in participants in Japanese smoking cessation therapy

Aims: To identify the strength of self-efficacy during 12-week smoking cessation therapy (SCT) that consisted of 5 sessions and its association with the success of smoking cessation at the end of SCT.

Background: Few studies showed to what level self-efficacy should be reinforced to facilitate success in smoking cessation.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Methods: We enrolled 488 smokers who received SCT from 6 Japanese smoking cessation clinics between October 2008 and October 2014. In each smoker, the self-efficacy of quitting smoking was assessed at each session of SCT. The association of the strength of self-efficacy with the success of smoking cessation was investigated by logistic regression analysis adjusting for age, gender, having a present illness, prescription, and nicotine dependence score.

Results: The self-efficacy of the 398 abstainers was significantly higher than that of the 90 nonabstainers at the first to fifth sessions of the SCT (P < .001 each). Participants with self-efficacy scores of greater than 60% were significantly more likely to attain abstinence than those with scores of 40% and less.

Conclusion: During SCT, nurses' counselling to maintain patients' self-efficacy scores of smoking cessation in the range from 61% to 100% may be important for assisting patients in achieving smoking cessation.