Longer duration of smoking abstinence is associated with waning cessation fatigue

Effect of Ramadan fasting on changes in smoking and vaping behaviors and withdrawal symptoms severity: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND

Ramadan fasting, an obligatory duty for adult Muslims, entails refraining from eating, drinking, smoking, and vaping from dawn until sunset. Throughout Ramadan, people accept major changes to daily routines. Consequently, Ramadan is associated with abstinence symptoms and changes in smoking or vaping behavior.

AIM

The study aims to assess the presence of withdrawal symptoms and its severity, as well as smoking or vaping behavior change and its determinants during Ramadan fasting.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted during Ramadan in 2023. Data were collected online using a Google form, including questionnaires assessing socio-demographic data, nicotine dependence using Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence, vaping and shisha smoking, presence and severity of physiological and psychological withdrawal symptoms and its coping strategies. Smoking and vaping behavioral change during Ramadan and its contributing factors were also evaluated.

RESULTS

A total of 251 participants (96% males), mean age ± standard deviation (33 ± 12.1) were surveyed. Withdrawal symptoms were reported among 70.5%, however, their severity was generally low both physiologically and psychologically. Education, nationality, smoking duration, nicotine dependence, and the amount of consumed E-liquid per day were the independent predictors of withdrawal symptoms presence. Attempts to quit smoking and vaping were reported by 54.6% of the participants; young age and higher educational levels were the factors associated with more quitting attempts.

CONCLUSIONS

The withdrawal symptoms severity linked to Ramadan fasting is minimal. Many smokers and vapers made attempts to quit during Ramadan. Ramadan presents a chance for smoking and vaping cessation with some behavioral support.

Oncology Patient Smoking Cessation Treatment Preferences: Perceptions Across Former and Current Cigarette Smokers

Although the benefits of smoking cessation following a cancer diagnosis have been well-established, up to 50% of cancer patients continue to smoke. Continued smoking through oncology treatment leads to increased risk of adverse events including reduced effectiveness of treatment, recurrence of additional malignancies, and reduced survival rates. Upon the cancer diagnosis, oncology healthcare providers become the primary trusted source of information and support, which represents a great opportunity to assist these patients to quit smoking. However, it remains unclear how oncology healthcare providers can best address smoking cessation from a patient-centered perspective. The present study surveyed oncology patients from Birmingham, AL, classified as either former (n = 174) or current smokers (n = 81) to identify their perceptions regarding the role of oncology healthcare providers in their smoking cessation efforts. Current smokers were more likely to be younger, received their cancer diagnosis within the past 3 years, and have a cancer diagnosis with high smoking-related public awareness (i.e., head, neck, or lung) compared to former smokers. Additionally, 81% of current smokers reported experiencing smoking cessation discussions with their oncology healthcare providers with the most prominent recommendations being use of nicotine replacement therapies (46.9%) and medication (35.8%). These smoking cessation experiences align with patient preferences. However, despite the frequency of smoking cessation discussions, current smokers demonstrated an ambivalence in understanding the risks of continued smoking during their medical treatment. Overall, this study highlights the important role of oncology healthcare providers on implementing smoking cessation intervention for their patients who continue to smoke.

A novel smoking-specific self-control task: An initial study of feasibility, acceptability, and changes in self-control and cigarette smoking behaviors among adults using cigarettes

Objective: Self-control is a key factor in quitting cigarettes and practicing general self-control tasks may strengthen self-control. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of a novel smoking-related self-control task. Method: Seventy-five adults with current cigarette smoking (M_age = 44.8, 74.7% male, 63.5% Black, 74.3% non-Latinx) were randomly assigned to practice a smoking-specific self-control task (Delay Smoking Task, n = 39) or a general self-control task (Posture Task, n = 36) for 1 week. Assessments included cigarettes per day (CPD), motivation to quit smoking, self-control, and task acceptability. Results: Most participants completed both appointments with no difference between task groups (p = .69). The Delay Smoking Task group rated the task as more difficult (p = .04) and more helpful for quitting smoking (p = .005) than did the Posture Task group. Self-control task groups did not differ in task effort (p = .66), task success (p = .14), or self-control used to practice the task (p = .13). Both task groups reported increased quit desire, expected quit success, quit confidence, and quit motivation (p < .05; partial η²s = 0.108-0.333). The time by task group interaction approached significance for expected quit success (p = .06; partial η² = .053), with the Delay Smoking Task group showing greater increases than the Posture Task group. Over the week, smoking decreased an average of 1.0 CPD with no difference between groups (p = .72; partial η² = 0.165). Conclusions: Practicing self-control was associated with increases in motivation to quit, confidence in quitting, and expected success at quitting smoking with similar changes for those practicing a smoking-specific versus a general self-control task. Self-control tasks may be useful for increasing motivation to quit cigarettes. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

Identification of the relationship between nicotine dependence levels and cessation fatigue

PURPOSE

This study aims to identify the relationship between nicotine dependence levels and cessation fatigue.

DESIGN AND METHODS

This descriptive study was conducted in a city located in the eastern part of Turkey between December 2019 and March 2020. The sample consisted of 107 students who met the research criteria. Data were collected using the sociodemographic form, the Fagerstrom test for nicotine dependence test, and the cessation fatigue scale (CFS).

FINDINGS

The CFS mean score was found to be significantly higher in women and in those who had high and very high nicotine dependence levels (p < 0.05). A positive and statistically significant relationship was found between cessation fatigue and nicotine dependence (p < 0.001). In addition, relationships were also found between cessation fatigue and variables, such as age, age of starting to smoke regularly, age of trying smoking for the first time, and the number of cigarettes smoked daily (p < 0.05).

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

This study detected a relationship between smoking cessation fatigue, and nicotine dependence. Studies have revealed that nursing practices on the struggle against smoking are effective. A better understanding of these processes could support nursing practices development.

Behavioral medicine and behavioral health research and practice: An introduction to the Special Issue

The field of behavioral medicine continues to have a major impact on psychological science and public health. Presently, the field of behavioral medicine is undergoing rapid development and continues to evolve as a sub-discipline in allied disciplines. This Special Issue highlights emerging work that contributes to the evolution of behavioral medicine as pertaining to behavioral, psychosocial, and biomedical science integration to prevent, diagnose, and treat illness and disease. The present introductory article calls attention to research in behavioral medicine in the larger context of behavioral health research and practice and encourages continued research in this area. Research presented in this Special Issue covers a variety of topics, ranging from the role of cognition and emotion in behavioral disorders, development and refinement of novel technological and integrated interventions, substance use comorbidity, sexual health across special populations, and social determinants of health. This Special Issue is organized into three parts classified as transdiagnostic processes in health behavior and physical illness; personalization of health-specific therapeutic tactics in modern day healthcare in behavioral medicine; and social determinants of health and health disparities in behavioral medicine among special populations. It is hoped that this issue will alert readers to the significance of this work, illustrate the many domains currently being explored via innovative approaches, and identify promising and impactful areas for research.