Long-term outcomes of smoking cessation outpatient clinic: A single center retrospective cohort study from the Eastern Black Sea Region of Türkiye

Abstract

INTRODUCTION In Türkiye, smoking cessation outpatient clinics (SCCs) provide access to free smoking cessation treatments and provide important treatment support to smokers. Additionally, in order to increase the effectiveness of these clinics, it is important to conduct due diligence and monitor their outcomes. Therefore, we aimed to evaluate the long-term outcomes of our SCC as well as the associated factors with quit success and treatment adherence of smokers. METHODS Smokers admitted to the outpatient smoking cessation clinic of a tertiary care hospital in the Eastern Black Sea Region of Türkiye between January 2018 and May 2019, were evaluated. All patients included in the study were aged ≥ 18 years and started smoking cessation treatment. RESULTS Mean age of the 425 participating patients was 38 ± 12 years, 73.4% of whom were males. In the second year, 20.5% of the patients were successful in quitting smoking. Unsuccessful quitting was positively associated with treatment non-adherence (OR=7.71; 95% CI: 3.44–17.31), presence of nicotine withdrawal symptoms (OR=7.09; 95% CI: 3.60–13.97) and being a student (OR=6.82; 95% CI: 1.31–35.59) with the highest risks. According to the multivariable logistic regression analysis, being a student, having higher scores on nicotine dependence test and presence of withdrawal symptoms, were positively associated with failure to quit smoking. Low cessation medication use duration, experiencing sleep-related side effects and digestive system related side effects during smoking cessation treatment, were negatively associated with success to quit (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS The rate of successful quitters in the long-term was 20.5%. Considering the factors associated with quit status, interventions and followed methods of SCCs need to be updated.