Association Between Quit Attempt and Other Lifestyle Behaviours Among Tobacco Users Attending a District Hospital in Gauteng

Abstract

Background: The cessation of tobacco use is associated with better health outcomes. Such a lifestyle choice may facilitate the uptake of other healthy lifestyles. In this study, we examined whether engaging in tobacco use cessation increases the likelihood of engaging in other healthy lifestyle behaviours. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, consecutive tobacco users attending the Outpatient Department of Dr Yusuf Dadoo District Hospital, were administered a questionnaire that collected data on sociodemographic, and clinical/health status, tobacco use, nicotine dependence, alcohol consumption, fruit/vegetable intake, physical activity and lifetime and 12-month quit attempts. Analysis included descriptive statistics and logistic regressions. Results: A total of 406 respondents completed the questionnaires with six discarded due to insufficient data. A quarter of respondents (n=104) reported making a quit attempt in the last 12 months while 54.5% had done in a lifetime. About 17.7 % (n=47) of smokers were classified as high nicotine dependent (HND) and 17.3 % reported harmful alcohol use. Only 37.6% reported adequate physical activity and 45.2% daily fruit/vegetable intake. 2 In univariate analyses, among smokers, only daily fruits/vegetables intake and having a respiratory problem were significantly associated with making a quit attempt (p<0.001 and p<0.011 respectively). Among all tobacco users, tertiary education and adequate physical activity were negatively associated with HND (p<0.002 and p<0.001, respectively). In multivariate regression, none of the lifestyle behaviours predicted quit attempt. Only reporting a good health status and being unemployed were significantly associated with making a quit attempt in the 12 months (AOR=3.0:95%CI:1.5-5.99; p=0.002, AOR=3.11:95%CI:1.1.28-7.6; p= 0.013 respectively). Conclusions: Most tobacco users did not make a quit attempt in the last 12months, highlighting a need to scale up the implementation of brief advice and motivational counselling within the clinical setting. Except for unemployment status and perceptions of being healthy, making a quit attempt appears not to be associated with uptake of other healthy lifestyle behaviours. Larger and better designed studies are therefore needed to explore this relationship. Nonetheless, the study findings may find suitable expression in policies aimed at facilitating quit attempts among tobacco users.