Abstract
Concern about weight gain is a barrier to quitting smoking, but it is unclear if weight concerns predict cessation success in the context of community-based cessation programs. Using logistic regression mixed modeling, data from baseline and 3-follow up periods were analyzed from a cessation trial of 392 adults, randomized to physical activity or general wellness counseling as adjunctive treatment for cigarette smoking. The dependent variable was smoking status (quit or smoking) measured as biochemically verified 7-day point prevalence at 7-weeks (end of treatment), and 6- and 12-months follow-up. Independent variables included two validated measures of weight concern: 1) use of smoking to control weight (“control”) and 2) lack of willingness to tolerate weight gain without returning to smoking (“intolerance”). Covariables included body mass index, nicotine dependence, age, and time. The sample was stratified by sex to examine effect moderators separately for men and women. Variables were entered into logistic mixed repeated measure models to identify if weight concerns predict cessation. Measures of weight concern did not significantly predict cessation. Covariables that consistently predicted smoking cessation in models included nicotine dependence, older age, and shorter time since quit day. Within a community-based cessation program, weight concerns were not a barrier to quitting and may not need to be specifically addressed to increase cessation rates during treatment.
Author ORCID Identifier
0000-0002-8339-998X
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
Recommended Citation
Kilmurray, Cheri; Vander Weg, Mark; Wilson, Nancy; Mou, Xichen; McClanahan, Barbara; Stockton, Michelle B.; and Ward, Kenneth D. (2026) "Weight concern as a predictor of smoking cessation in smokers participating in a community-based cessation program," Health Behavior Research: Vol. 9: No. 1.
