The first day of forgoing tobacco is more challenging for female smokers, which can be a critical predictor for long-term success when it comes to extinguishing the habit once and for all.
When it comes to smoking cessation, women find the first day to be more difficult compared with men, and that can be a sign that they will be more likely to backslide later on, according to recent research published in the May 2022 issue of the journal Addictive Behaviors.
Scientists at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York City also found that larger health warning labels on cigarette packs may help improve the odds of experiencing a one-day relapse.
“A successful first day of abstinence is one of the most important predictors for prolonged smoking cessation, and little is known about why women may find this period more challenging than men,” said first author João Mauricio Castaldelli-Maia, MD, postdoctoral fellow in the department of epidemiology at Columbia University, in a press release.
“It may be that withdrawal syndrome, which typically presents on the first day of abstinence and is cited by smokers as the main reason for relapse, may play an essential role in one-day quit attempt outcomes among women who typically report more withdrawal symptoms than men,” he added.
The investigation was based on data from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey of 2008–2012, which included more than 16,500 smokers from 12 low- and middle-income countries — Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, and Vietnam. About 60 percent of the world’s smokers live in these nations. Overall one-day relapses ranged from 3 to 14 percent.
Researchers noted that highly visible warning labels about smoking’s health hazards printed on the packaging make a difference. The study found that prominently sized cautions were associated with reduced odds of one-day relapse among women.
“Compared to male smokers, women tend to rate graphic warning labels overall as more credible, evoking more negative emotions, and eliciting higher motivation to quit,” noted Silvia Martins, MD, professor of epidemiology at Columbia and senior author of the study. “Yet, as of 2013, less than half of low-middle income countries included in the Global Adult Tobacco Survey had implemented these warning labels on cigarette boxes.”
The authors remarked that women are more likely to be motivated by health concerns, particularly pregnancy, to attempt to quit smoking compared with men.
Medication and psychotherapy may be critical in increasing the chance of successfully quitting smoking, added Drs. Castaldelli-Maia and Martins.
“Studies in high-income countries showed that women tend to receive less pharmacological treatment even though they seek treatment more often,” they said.
For advice on how to quit smoking, check out the Mayo Clinic’s "10 Ways to Resist Tobacco Cravings" and the American Cancer Society’s "How to Quit Using Tobacco."