"The worst thing is lying in bed thinking 'I want a cigarette'" a qualitative exploration of smoker's and ex-smoker's perceptions of sleep during a quit attempt and the use of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia to aid cessation.

Smokers report poorer sleep quality than non-smokers and sleep quality deteriorates further during cessation, increasing risk of smoking relapse. Despite the use of cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) to aid quit attempts emerging in the area, little is known about smokers and ex smoker's experiences of sleep during a quit attempt or their perceptions of CBT-I. This study addresses this gap by exploring smoker's and ex-smoker's experiences of the link between smoking and sleep and how this may change as a function of smoking/smoking abstinence. It also explores views of traditional CBT-I components (i.e., perceived feasibility, effectiveness, barriers of use). We conducted semi-structured interviews with current and recently quit smokers (n = 17) between January and September 2022. The framework method was used for analysis. Four themes addressing research questions were described. These included: 1) A viscous cycle; poor sleep quality and negative psychological state during cessation; 2) Perceived engagement and effectiveness; the importance of feasibility, experience, value, identity and psychological state in assessing CBT-I as a cessation tool; 3) Striking a balance; tailoring CBT-I to reduce psychological overload in a time of lifestyle transition; and 4) Personalisation and digital delivery helping overcome psychological barriers during cessation. The analysis suggested during quit attempts smokers experienced a range of sleep problems that could increase risk of relapse due to a negative impact on psychological state. It also revealed participants thought that CBT-I is something they would use during a quit attempt but suggested changes and additions that would improve engagement and be better tailored to quitting smokers. Key additions included the integration of smoking-based cognitive restructuring, starting the intervention prior to a quit attempt, and the need for personalisation and tailoring.

Exploring the opinions and potential impact of unflavoured e-liquid on smoking cessation among people who smoke and smoking relapse among people who previously smoked and now use e-cigarettes: findings from a UK-based mixed methods study.

BACKGROUND: Although electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) appear to be effective in helping people who smoke to stop smoking, concerns about use of e-cigarettes among young people have led to restrictions on non-tobacco flavoured e-liquids in some countries and some US states. These restrictions could reduce the appeal of these products to non-smoking youth but could have negative consequences for people who smoke or use e-cigarettes. METHODS: In this mixed methods study, we recruited UK adults who smoked or used to smoke and subsequently vaped to explore their opinions of unflavoured e-liquids and their beliefs about how they would be impacted by hypothetical e-liquid flavour restrictions. Participants trialled an unflavoured e-liquid instead of their usual nicotine product for four hours and completed a survey and an online interview. RESULTS: Using Interpretive Phenomenological Analysis and graphically presented data, we found differences in participants' opinions of unflavoured e-liquid. If only unflavoured, tobacco flavoured, and menthol flavoured e-liquids remained on the UK market, some people who smoke or vape may be unaffected, but some may relapse to smoking or continue smoking. Despite most wanting to prevent young people from initiating vaping, participants had varying opinions on whether flavour restrictions would be an effective method. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlight that people who smoke and vape could be impacted by flavour restrictions in a range of ways, some of which could have a potential adverse impact on harm reduction efforts in the UK (e.g., by making smoking more appealing than vaping).

Effect of Adding Personalized Instant Messaging Apps to a Brief Smoking Cessation Model in Community Smokers in Hong Kong: Pragmatic Randomized Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND: While text messaging has proven effective for smoking cessation (SC), engagement in the intervention remains suboptimal. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to evaluate whether using more interactive and adaptive instant messaging (IM) apps on smartphones, which enable personalization and chatting with SC advisors, can enhance SC outcomes beyond the provision of brief SC advice and active referral (AR) to SC services. METHODS: From December 2018 to November 2019, we proactively recruited 700 adult Chinese daily cigarette users in Hong Kong. Participants were randomized in a 1:1 ratio. At baseline, all participants received face-to-face brief advice on SC. Additionally, they were introduced to local SC services and assisted in selecting one. The intervention group received an additional 26 personalized regular messages and access to interactive chatting through IM apps for 3 months. The regular messages aimed to enhance self-efficacy, social support, and behavioral capacity for quitting, as well as to clarify outcome expectations related to cessation. We developed 3 sets of messages tailored to the planned quit date (within 30 days, 60 days, and undecided). Participants in the intervention group could initiate chatting with SC advisors on IM themselves or through prompts from regular messages or proactive inquiries from SC advisors. The control group received 26 SMS text messages focusing on general health. The primary outcomes were smoking abstinence validated by carbon monoxide levels of <4 parts per million at 6 and 12 months after the start of the intervention. RESULTS: Of the participants, 505/700 (72.1%) were male, and 450/648 (69.4%) were aged 40 or above. Planning to quit within 30 days was reported by 500/648 (77.2%) participants, with fewer intervention group members (124/332, 37.3%) reporting previous quit attempts compared with the control group (152/335, 45.4%; P=.04). At the 6- and 12-month follow-ups (with retention rates of 456/700, 65.1%, and 446/700, 63.7%, respectively), validated abstinence rates were comparable between the intervention (14/350, 4.0%, and 19/350, 5.4%) and control (11/350, 3.1% and 21/350, 6.0%) groups. Compared with the control group, the intervention group reported greater utilization of SC services at 12 months (RR 1.26, 95% CI 1.01-1.56). Within the intervention group, engaging in chat sessions with SC advisors predicted better validated abstinence at 6 months (RR 3.29, 95% CI 1.13-9.63) and any use of SC services (RR 1.66, 95% CI 1.14-2.43 at 6 months; RR 1.67, 95% CI 1.26-2.23 at 12 months). CONCLUSIONS: An IM-based intervention, providing support and assistance alongside brief SC advice and AR, did not yield further increases in quitting rates but did encourage the utilization of SC services. Future research could explore whether enhanced SC service utilization leads to improved long-term SC outcomes. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03800719; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03800719.

A smoking cessation smartphone app that delivers real-time 'context aware' behavioural support: the Quit Sense feasibility RCT.

Background: During a quit attempt, cues from a smoker's environment are a major cause of brief smoking lapses, which increase the risk of relapse. Quit Sense is a theory-guided Just-In-Time Adaptive Intervention smartphone app, providing smokers with the means to learn about their environmental smoking cues and provides 'in the moment' support to help them manage these during a quit attempt. Objective: To undertake a feasibility randomised controlled trial to estimate key parameters to inform a definitive randomised controlled trial of Quit Sense. Design: A parallel, two-arm randomised controlled trial with a qualitative process evaluation and a 'Study Within A Trial' evaluating incentives on attrition. The research team were blind to allocation except for the study statistician, database developers and lead researcher. Participants were not blind to allocation. Setting: Online with recruitment, enrolment, randomisation and data collection (excluding manual telephone follow-up) automated through the study website. Participants: Smokers (323 screened, 297 eligible, 209 enrolled) recruited via online adverts on Google search, Facebook and Instagram. Interventions: Participants were allocated to 'usual care' arm (n = 105; text message referral to the National Health Service SmokeFree website) or 'usual care' plus Quit Sense (n = 104), via a text message invitation to install the Quit Sense app. Main outcome measures: Follow-up at 6 weeks and 6 months post enrolment was undertaken by automated text messages with an online questionnaire link and, for non-responders, by telephone. Definitive trial progression criteria were met if a priori thresholds were included in or lower than the 95% confidence interval of the estimate. Measures included health economic and outcome data completion rates (progression criterion #1 threshold: ≥ 70%), including biochemical validation rates (progression criterion #2 threshold: ≥ 70%), recruitment costs, app installation (progression criterion #3 threshold: ≥ 70%) and engagement rates (progression criterion #4 threshold: ≥ 60%), biochemically verified 6-month abstinence and hypothesised mechanisms of action and participant views of the app (qualitative). Results: Self-reported smoking outcome completion rates were 77% (95% confidence interval 71% to 82%) and health economic data (resource use and quality of life) 70% (95% CI 64% to 77%) at 6 months. Return rate of viable saliva samples for abstinence verification was 39% (95% CI 24% to 54%). The per-participant recruitment cost was £19.20, which included advert (£5.82) and running costs (£13.38). In the Quit Sense arm, 75% (95% CI 67% to 83%; 78/104) installed the app and, of these, 100% set a quit date within the app and 51% engaged with it for more than 1 week. The rate of 6-month biochemically verified sustained abstinence, which we anticipated would be used as a primary outcome in a future study, was 11.5% (12/104) in the Quit Sense arm and 2.9% (3/105) in the usual care arm (estimated effect size: adjusted odds ratio = 4.57, 95% CIs 1.23 to 16.94). There was no evidence of between-arm differences in hypothesised mechanisms of action. Three out of four progression criteria were met. The Study Within A Trial analysis found a £20 versus £10 incentive did not significantly increase follow-up rates though reduced the need for manual follow-up and increased response speed. The process evaluation identified several potential pathways to abstinence for Quit Sense, factors which led to disengagement with the app, and app improvement suggestions. Limitations: Biochemical validation rates were lower than anticipated and imbalanced between arms. COVID-19-related restrictions likely limited opportunities for Quit Sense to provide location tailored support. Conclusions: The trial design and procedures demonstrated feasibility and evidence was generated supporting the efficacy potential of Quit Sense. Future work: Progression to a definitive trial is warranted providing improved biochemical validation rates. Trial registration: This trial is registered as ISRCTN12326962. Funding: This award was funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Public Health Research programme (NIHR award ref: 17/92/31) and is published in full in Public Health Research; Vol. 12, No. 4. See the NIHR Funding and Awards website for further award information.

Smokers often fail to quit because of urges to smoke triggered by their surroundings (e.g. being around smokers). We developed a smartphone app ('Quit Sense') which learns about an individual's surroundings and locations where they smoke. During a quit attempt, Quit Sense uses in-built sensors to identify when smokers are in those locations and sends 'in the moment' advice to help prevent them from smoking. We ran a feasibility study to help plan for a future large study to see if Quit Sense helps smokers to quit. This feasibility study was designed to tell us how many participants complete study measures; recruitment costs; how many participants install and use Quit Sense; and estimate whether Quit Sense may help smokers to stop and how it might do this. We recruited 209 smokers using online adverts on Google search, Facebook and Instagram, costing £19 per participant. Participants then had an equal chance of receiving a web link to the National Health Service SmokeFree website ('usual care group') or receive that same web link plus a link to the Quit Sense app ('Quit Sense group'). Three-quarters of the Quit Sense group installed the app on their phone and half of these used the app for more than 1 week. We followed up 77% of participants at 6 months to collect study data, though only 39% of quitters returned a saliva sample for abstinence verification. At 6 months, more people in the Quit Sense group had stopped smoking (12%) than the usual care group (3%). It was not clear how the app helped smokers to quit based on study measures, though interviews found that the process of training the app helped people quit through learning about what triggered their smoking behaviour. The findings support undertaking a large study to tell us whether Quit Sense really does help smokers to quit.

Effects of brief mindfulness training on smoking cue-reactivity in tobacco use disorder: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of Tobacco Use Disorder (TUD) represents a significant and pressing global public health concern, with far-reaching and deleterious consequences for individuals, communities, and healthcare systems. The craving caused by smoking cue is an important trigger for relapse, fundamentally hindering the cessation of cigarette smoking. Mindfulness interventions focusing on cue-reactivity was effective for the treatment of related dependence. Brief mindfulness training (BMT) meets the short-term needs for intervention but the effects still need to be examined. The objective of the present study is to investigate the impact of BMT intervention on smoking cue-reactivity among Chinese college students with TUD, to uncover the dynamic models of brain function involved in this process. METHOD: A randomized control trial (RCT) based on electroencephalography (EEG) was designed. We aim to recruit 90 participants and randomly assign to the BMT and control group (CON) with 1:1 ratio. A brief mindfulness training will be administered to experimental group. After the intervention, data collection will be conducted in the follow-up stage with 5 timepoints of assessments. EEG data will be recorded during the smoking cue-reactivity task and 'STOP' brief mindfulness task. The primary outcomes include subjective reports of smoking craving, changes in EEG indicators, and mindfulness measures. The secondary outcomes will be daily smoking behaviours, affect and impulsivity, as well as indicators reflecting correlation between mindfulness and smoking cue-reactivity. To evaluate the impact of mindfulness training, a series of linear mixed-effects models will be employed. Specifically, within-group effects will be examined by analysing the longitudinal data. Additionally, the effect size for all statistical measurements will be reported, offering a comprehensive view of the observed effects. DISCUSSION: The current study aims to assess the impact of brief mindfulness-based intervention on smoking cue-reactivity in TUD. It also expected to enhance our understanding of the underlying processes involved in brain function and explore potential EEG biomarkers at multiple time points. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Trial registration number: ChiCTR2300069363, registered on 14 March 2023. Protocol Version 1.0., 10 April 2023.

Sleep-related adverse events of smoking cessation drugs: A network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Smoking cessation medications have the potential to affect the functioning of the nervous system, leading to sleep disturbances. Our study aimed to compare the sleep-related side effects (such as insomnia, abnormal dreams, nightmares, and somnolence) induced by different smoking cessation medications in non-psychiatric smokers. We conducted a thorough search of five electronic databases (Cochrane, EMBASE, PubMed, PsycInfo, and Web of Science) for randomized controlled trials. This study was registered with the PROSPERO (registration number CRD42022347976). A total of 79 full-text articles, encompassing 36,731 participants, were included in our analysis. Individuals using bupropion, bupropion in combination with a nicotinic acetylcholine receptor agonist (NRA), and bupropion in conjunction with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) exhibited a higher likelihood of experiencing insomnia compared to those using NRT alone. Bupropion plus NRA had the highest ranking on the surface under the cumulative ranking curve (SUCRA) for insomnia risk, while placebo had the lowest ranking. Additionally, NRA plus NRT ranked first for abnormal dream outcomes, NRA alone for nightmares, and nortriptyline for somnolence, based on the SUCRA results. Healthcare providers should exercise caution when prescribing smoking cessation drugs, particularly in consideration of their potential sleep-related side effects.

Provision of E-Cigarettes for Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy: Perceptions and Experiences of Pregnant Women from Two UK Sites.

INTRODUCTION: Smoking in pregnancy is associated with negative health outcomes for both mothers and babies; e-cigarettes, which contain nicotine without hazardous tobacco, may offer an additional smoking cessation strategy for pregnant women. Although e-cigarettes are being increasingly offered within services, there is limited understanding about whether e-cigarettes can improve smoking cessation support for pregnant individuals. This study aimed to explore service users' experiences of using e-cigarettes as a tool for smoking cessation during pregnancy. METHODS: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 women who had accepted one of two pilots and were analysed using inductive reflexive thematic analysis. The findings from each site were integrated to develop qualitative insight. RESULTS: Participants largely had positive perceptions of the free and easy-to-use e-cigarette, preferring it to nicotine replacement therapies. The desire to have a healthy pregnancy and baby and the inclusion of non-judgemental behavioural support facilitated motivation to quit. Many participants reduced or quit tobacco use, with positive social and health implications reported. However, numerous barriers to quitting were present and intentions about long-term quitting of combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes were mixed and uncertain. CONCLUSIONS: Providing e-cigarettes within smoking cessation services was indicated to be a positive and effective strategy for pregnant women trying to quit tobacco. However, numerous barriers to quitting and staying quit remained, suggesting scope for further improvements to smoking cessation support for pregnant women.

Prevalence, Reach of Anti-smokeless Tobacco Messages and Quit Attempts by Product Type: A Secondary Data Analysis from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS - 2016-17).

OBJECTIVE: India has the highest number of smokeless tobacco (SLT) products available in different forms, consumed in various ways. The current study aimed to understand the pattern of daily SLT use according to different product categories and whether Quit intention and Quit attempts vary by SLT type and exposure to media messages. METHODS: Data from Global Adult Tobacco Surveys (GATS), 2016-17, was used to find access to media messages and warning labels by SLT type. Quit attempt and Quit intention were calculated for each of the SLT types. Logistic regression analyses were employed to identify whether access to media messages, warning labels influenced, quit intention and attempts vary by SLT type. RESULTS: Khaini or tobacco lime mixture was the most common SLT type consumed by 37% of SLT users, whereas SLT users consuming more than one product accounted for 23% of SLT users. Exposure to media messages and warning labels was high among Gutkha/ paan masala tobacco users (74.7% and 81.2%) and low among oral tobacco (Mishri, Gul, Gudakhu) users (56.1% and 60.0%). Quit attempts and quit intention were high among Gutkha/ paan masala tobacco users (38.3% and 22.3%) and low among oral tobacco (Mishri, Gul, Gudakhu) users (25.3% and 13.6%). Users of Oral tobacco and khaini or tobacco-lime mixture were significantly less likely to attempt quitting (AOR 0.806(95%CI: 0.676-0.962), 0.839(95%CI: 0.736-0.956), and have quit intention (AOR 0.681(95%CI: 0.702-0.976), 0.733(95%CI: 0.627-0.857) compared to Gutkha/ paan masala with tobacco users. CONCLUSION: The reach of media messages and warning labels varies by SLT type. Quit intention and attempts vary by SLT type and access to media messages and warning labels. There is a need to re-strategise the tobacco control Information, Education and Communication (IEC) to reach out with effective messaging to the most unreached.

An Integrated mHealth App for Smoking Cessation in Black Smokers With HIV: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BACKGROUND: Black adults who smoke and have HIV experience immense stressors (eg, racial discrimination and HIV stigma) that impede smoking cessation success and perpetuate smoking-related health disparities. These stressors also place Black adults who smoke and have HIV at an increased risk of elevated interoceptive stress (eg, anxiety and uncomfortable bodily sensations) and smoking to manage symptoms. In turn, this population is more likely to smoke to manage interoceptive stress, which contributes to worse HIV-related outcomes in this group. However, no specialized treatment exists to address smoking cessation, interoceptive stress, and HIV management for Black smokers with HIV. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to test a culturally adapted and novel mobile intervention that targets combustible cigarette smoking, HIV treatment engagement and adherence, and anxiety sensitivity (a proxy for difficulty and responsivity to interoceptive stress) among Black smokers with HIV (ie, Mobile Anxiety Sensitivity Program for Smoking and HIV [MASP+]). Various culturally tailored components of the app are being evaluated for their ability to help users quit smoking, manage physiological stress, and improve health care management. METHODS: This study is a pilot randomized controlled trial in which Black combustible cigarette smokers with HIV (N=72) are being recruited and randomly assigned to use either (1) the National Cancer Institute's QuitGuide app or (2) MASP+. Study procedures include a web-based prescreener; active intervention period for 6 weeks; smartphone-based assessments, including daily app-based ecological momentary assessments for 6 weeks (4 ecological momentary assessments each day); a video-based qualitative interview using Zoom Video Communications software at week 6 for participants in all study conditions; and smartphone-based follow-up assessments at 0, 1, 2 (quit date), 3, 4, 5, 6, and 28 weeks postbaseline (26 weeks postquitting date). RESULTS: Primary outcomes include biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence of abstinence, HIV-related quality of life, use of antiretroviral therapy, and HIV care appointment adherence at 26 weeks postquitting date. Qualitative data are also being collected and assessed to obtain feedback that will guide further tailoring of app content and evaluation of efficacy. CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study will determine whether the MASP+ app serves as a successful aid for combustible cigarette smoking cessation, HIV treatment engagement, and physiological stress outcomes among Black people with HIV infection. If successful, this study will provide evidence for the efficacy of a new means of addressing major mental and physical health difficulties for this high-risk population. If the results are promising, the data from this study will be used to update and tailor the MASP+ app for testing in a fully powered randomized controlled trial that will evaluate its efficacy in real-world behavioral health and social service settings. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05709002; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT05709002. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID): PRR1-10.2196/52090.

Evidence of validity of the Smoking Cessation Counseling scale - Brazilian version.

OBJECTIVE: to evaluate the evidence of validity of the internal structure and reliability of the Brazilian version of the Smoking Cessation Counseling instrument. METHOD: psychometric study of confirmatory factor analysis and reliability carried out on 250 nurses in clinical practice. For the analysis of the convergent validity of the factor model, Average Variance Extracted values were calculated, and discriminant analysis was carried out using the Fornell-Larcker criterion. Reliability was examined using Cronbach's alpha coefficient and composite reliability. RESULTS: it was necessary to exclude seven items from the Advanced Counseling domain and one item from the Basic Counseling domain in order to properly obtain the Average Variance Extracted values and the Fornell-Larcker criterion. The composite reliability ranged from 0.76 to 0.86 and the overall Cronbach`s alpha coefficient was 0.86, ranging from 0.53 to 0.84 depending on the domain assessed. The final version of the instrument was made up of 16 items divided into 4 domains. CONCLUSION: the Brazilian version of Smoking Cessation Counseling obtained adequate psychometric evidence of validity and reliability. Further studies are needed to refine the instrument. BACKGROUND: (1) Instrument shows adequate internal consistency and validity. BACKGROUND: (2) Evaluate counseling practices and their impact on patient care. BACKGROUND: (3) Instrument for evaluating smoking cessation counseling. BACKGROUND: (4) Provides important information for planning nursing care.

How a 5-Day Stay in the Tobacco-Free Environment of the Stoptober House Supports Individuals to Quit Smoking: A Mixed Methods Pilot Study.

INTRODUCTION: The Stoptober House is part of the annual national Stoptober smoking cessation campaign in the Netherlands. During the first week of October, 48 volunteers resided in the tobacco-free Stoptober House for 5 days and received smoking cessation counseling. This pilot study explored how the Stoptober House may have facilitated smoking cessation among participants. METHODS: We included 48 individuals who were selected for the Stoptober House (intervention group) and 67 individuals who were not selected (control group). Surveys were conducted at baseline, immediately after 2 and 8 weeks of post-intervention. We compared self-reported abstinence, psychosocial mediators related to smoking cessation, and perceived active elements of the Stoptober House between the intervention and control groups using t/χ2 tests and linear mixed model (LMM) analysis. Sixteen semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted to explore participants' perspectives on the elements contributing to their success in quitting smoking. RESULTS: At 8 weeks of follow-up, a higher proportion of participants in the intervention group (24/48 [50%]) reported being abstinent compared to the control group (5/67 [7%]; p < 0.001). Among participants who reported making a quit attempt, 22/38 (57.9%) in the intervention group remained abstinent compared to 4/17 (23.5%) in the control group (p = 0.022). The intervention group also exhibited higher self-efficacy to quit smoking throughout the follow-up period and higher social support immediately after the Stoptober House. No significant differences were observed in other psychosocial factors. The interviews highlighted several perceived elements of the Stoptober House that contributed to smoking cessation success, including restricted smoking opportunities, access to smoking cessation counselors, and peer support. CONCLUSION: This pilot study suggests that the Stoptober House provides support that can help people quit smoking. Further research is needed to confirm these findings and determine the cost-effectiveness of this intervention in promoting long-term abstinence among specific groups of smokers.

Who likely experiences reactance to quitting messages: How individual cultural identification moderates the effect of controlling language on psychological reactance.

OBJECTIVE: Psychological reactance can undermine the persuasiveness of smoking campaigns, but this effect may vary as a function of culture. Previous research has been conducted at the national level or examined the influence of one cultural variable. This study investigated whether the boomerang effect of controlling language varied across countries and whether individualism and power distance moderated the relationship between controlling language and psychological reactance. METHODS: A total of 400 Chinese and 441 American smokers were randomly assigned to either high or low controlling language. RESULTS: High controlling language elicited psychological reactance, which caused negative attitudes and eventually reduced intentions to quit smoking in both countries. Moreover, the effect of controlling language on reactance was stronger among low power distance Americans, Chinese of high individualism and high power distance as well as of low individualism and low power distance. CONCLUSION: The boomerang effect of controlling language held across cultures. Power distance moderated the relationship between controlling language and psychological reactance as well as the moderation effect of individualism on this relationship. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Practitioners should be cautious to evoke reactance especially when targeting at the three groups mentioned above.

Social network tie functions of social support and social influence and adult smoking abstinence.

Adults' social network ties serve multiple functions and play prominently in quitting smoking. We examined three types of adults' egocentric social networks, including family, friends, and friends online to investigate how two network characteristics with major relevance to health behavior, network size and tie closeness, related to the emotional and confidant support and to pro- and anti-smoking social influence these ties may transmit. We also examine whether the social support and social influence constructs related to smoking abstinence. We utilized baseline and 7-day abstinence survey data from 123 adult current smokers attempting to quit prior to the start of a randomized controlled quit-smoking trial of a social support intervention for quitting smoking on Twitter. To examine study relationships, we estimated Negative Binomial Regression models and Logistic Regression models. For all networks, network size and tie closeness related positively to most of the social support and social influence constructs, with tie closeness related most strongly, especially for online friends. Family pro-smoking social influence related negatively to smoking abstinence, and there were marginally negative relationships for family emotional support and family confidant support. Online friend emotional support had a marginally positive relationship with smoking abstinence. Overall, our findings indicated the importance of the social support and social influence functions of each type of network tie, with larger networks and closer ties related to higher levels of social support and social influence. Moreover, family network pro-smoking social influence may compromise abstinence while emotional support from online friend network ties may reinforce it.

Insomnia and parasomnia induced by validated smoking cessation pharmacotherapies and electronic cigarettes: a network meta-analysis.

We aim to assess the relationship between validated smoking cessation pharmacotherapies and electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and insomnia and parasomnia using a systematic review and a network meta-analysis. A systematic search was performed until August 2022 in the following databases: PUBMED, COCHRANE, CLINICALTRIAL. Randomized controlled studies against placebo or validated therapeutic smoking cessation methods and e-cigarettes in adult smokers without unstable or psychiatric comorbidity were included. The primary outcome was the presence of "insomnia" and "parasomnia." A total of 1261 studies were selected. Thirty-seven studies were included in the quantitative analysis (34 for insomnia and 23 for parasomnia). The reported interventions were varenicline (23 studies), nicotine replacement therapy (NRT, 10 studies), bupropion (15 studies). No studies on e-cigarettes were included. Bayesian analyses found that insomnia and parasomnia are more frequent with smoking cessation therapies than placebo except for bupropion. Insomnia was less frequent with nicotine substitutes but more frequent with bupropion than the over pharmacotherapies. Parasomnia are less frequent with bupropion but more frequent with varenicline than the over pharmacotherapies. Validated smoking cessation pharmacotherapies can induce sleep disturbances with different degrees of frequency. Our network meta-analysis shows a more favorable profile of nicotine substitutes for insomnia and bupropion for parasomnia. It seems essential to systematize the assessment of sleep disturbances in the initiation of smoking cessation treatment. This could help professionals to personalize the choice of treatment according to sleep parameters of each patient. Considering co-addictions, broadening the populations studied and standardizing the measurement are additional avenues for future research.

Multidimensional assessment of adverse events of bupropion: A large-scale data analysis from the FAERS database.

OBJECTIVE: Bupropion, a monocyclic antidepressant, aids in smoking cessation, treats major depression, and prevents severe depression in seasonal affective disorder patients. Yet, its adverse reactions remain insufficiently studied. METHODS: All data from the raw data packages for 78 quarters from the 1st quarter of 2004 to the 2nd quarter of 2023 were extracted from the FDA Adverse Event Reporting System (FAERS) database and imported into the SAS9.4 software for data cleaning and analysis. The Reporting Odds Ratio (ROR), Proportional Reporting Ratio (PRR), Bayesian Confidence Propagation Neural Network (BCPNN), and Multi-item Gamma Poisson Shrinker (MGPS) methods were used to analyze drug adverse events and assess their compliance with various screening criteria. RESULTS: The results showed a total of 36,862 reports related to Bupropion use, identifying 364 positive reaction terms (PT) covering 23 System Organ Classes (SOCs). In addition to known side effects, some new potential adverse reactions were found, such as Stool analysis abnormal, Oculocephalogyric reflex absent, Suspected suicide, and so on. At the same time, reactions like Encephalopathy neonatal, Hyponatraemic coma, and Electrocardiogram QRS complex prolonged were prominently ranked. Notably, occurrences such as Urine amphetamine positive and Amphetamines positive were relatively high, suggesting extra caution for these potential adverse reactions during clinical use of Bupropion. CONCLUSION: These findings highlight the potential health risks of long-term Bupropion use, especially concerning efficacy, positive drug tests, and suicidal tendencies. Therefore, it is recommended to monitor and assess patients using Bupropion more stringently to use this therapeutically potential drug more safely and effectively.

Deep sequencing of candidate genes identified 14 variants associated with smoking abstinence in an ethnically diverse sample.

Despite the large public health toll of smoking, genetic studies of smoking cessation have been limited with few discoveries of risk or protective loci. We investigated common and rare variant associations with success in quitting smoking using a cohort from 8 randomized controlled trials involving 2231 participants and a total of 10,020 common and 24,147 rare variants. We identified 14 novel markers including 6 mapping to genes previously related to psychiatric and substance use disorders, 4 of which were protective (CYP2B6 (rs1175607105), HTR3B (rs1413172952; rs1204720503), rs80210037 on chr15), and 2 of which were associated with reduced cessation (PARP15 (rs2173763), SCL18A2 (rs363222)). The others mapped to areas associated with cancer including FOXP1 (rs1288980) and ZEB1 (rs7349). Network analysis identified significant canonical pathways for the serotonin receptor signaling pathway, nicotine and bupropion metabolism, and several related to tumor suppression. Two novel markers (rs6749438; rs6718083) on chr2 are flanked by genes associated with regulation of bodyweight. The identification of novel loci in this study can provide new targets of pharmacotherapy and inform efforts to develop personalized treatments based on genetic profiles.

Smoking Cessation Support in the Context of Other Social and Behavioral Needs in Community Health Centers.

BACKGROUND: Cigarette smoking rates remain disproportionately high among low income populations with unmet social and behavioral health needs. To address this problem, we sought to develop and evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of a novel smoking cessation program for community health centers that serve these populations. METHODS: We implemented a randomized pilot trial of two smoking cessation programs in three county operated community health center (CHC) sites: (1) a systematic assessment of smoking habits and standard tools to assist with smoking cessation counseling ("Enhanced Standard Program" or ESP), and (2) another that added a structured assessment of social and behavioral barriers to smoking cessation, ("Connection to Health for Smokers" or CTHS). Clinical outcomes were evaluated between 10 to 16 weeks, supplemented with interviews of patient participants and health care team members. RESULTS: 141 adults were randomized and 123 completed the intervention (61 in ESP, 62 in CTHS). At follow-up, over half of participants reported ≥1 quit attempts (59.7% ESP and 56.5% CTHS; adjusted p = .66) while more in ESP (24.6% vs. 12.9%) were documented as not smoking in the last 7 days (adjusted p = 0.03). In addition to being in ESP, predictors of smoking cessation included higher baseline confidence in ability to quit (p = 0.02) and more quit attempts during the study (p = 0.04). Health care teams, however, generally preferred the more comprehensive approach of CTHS. CONCLUSION: Lessons learned from this pilot study may inform the development of effective smoking cessation programs for CHCs that combine elements of both interventions.

An overview of systematic reviews on predictors of smoking cessation among young people.

Understanding the factors that influence smoking cessation among young people is crucial for planning targeted cessation approaches. The objective of this review was to comprehensively summarize evidence for predictors of different smoking cessation related behaviors among young people from currently available systematic reviews. We searched six databases and reference lists of the included articles for studies published up to October 20, 2023. All systematic reviews summarizing predictors of intention to quit smoking, quit attempts, or smoking abstinence among people aged 10-35 years were included. We excluded reviews on effectiveness of smoking cessation intervention; smoking prevention and other smoking behaviors; cessation of other tobacco products use, dual use, and polysubstance use. We categorized the identified predictors into 5 different categories for 3 overlapping age groups. JBI critical appraisal tool and GRADE-CERqual approach were used for quality and certainty assessment respectively. A total of 11 systematic reviews were included in this study; all summarized predictors of smoking abstinence/quit attempts and two also identified predictors of intention to quit smoking. Seven reviews had satisfactory critical appraisal score and there was minimal overlapping between the reviews. We found 4 'possible' predictors of intention to quit smoking and 119 predictors of smoking abstinence/quit attempts. Most of these 119 predictors were applicable for ~10-29 years age group. We had moderate confidence on the 'probable', 'possible', 'insufficient evidence', and 'inconsistent direction' predictors and low confidence on the 'probably unrelated' factors. The 'probable' predictors include a wide variety of socio-demographic factors, nicotine dependence, mental health, attitudes, behavioral and psychological factors, peer and family related factors, and jurisdictional policies. These predictors can guide improvement of existing smoking cessation interventions or planning of new targeted intervention programs. Other predictors as well as predictors of intention to quit smoking need to be further investigated among adolescents and young adults separately.

Qualitative Message Development to Motivate Quitting Smoking in Older Adults: Dementia May Motivate Quitting.

Compared to younger adults, older adults who smoke cigarettes are half as likely to make a quit attempt, but more likely to maintain abstinence using evidence-based smoking treatments (EBSTs), illustrating the need for motivational messages to promote cessation through EBSTs. It is unclear whether messaging regarding the association between smoking and dementia might motivate older adults to quit. We conducted 90-min semi-structured qualitative interviews and surveys via telephone with 24 U.S. older adults who smoke (ages 50-75) with no cognitive impairment history. Rapid content analysis revealed the most reported health-related concern of aging was dementia/cognitive loss/loss of functioning. However, most participants were unaware of the association between cognitive decline and smoking. Participants had seen previous smoking cessation advertisements, but most did not feel motivated to quit by them. The majority found a message about smoking raising dementia risk and quitting decreasing that risk to be motivational for cessation. Exact message content preference varied, but 2 broad categories arose: hope- and fear-based messages. Most participants stated willingness to use some cessation pharmacotherapy and half were willing to use cessation counseling. Participants preferred messages to come from older adults who were successful quitters. To our knowledge, this was the first study to explore potential motivational messages targeting older adult smokers, including the potential acceptability of a dementia-related message in this context. This work supports patient desire for targeted motivational messages for older adult smokers. Messages highlighting the link between smoking and dementia are perceived to be motivational for this group; future work should compare a hope- to fear-based messages.