Level of motivation for smoking cessation in hospitalized active smokers at Department of Internal Medicine, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital

Abstract

Background: Smoking cessation would lead to a decreased rate of re-hospitalization and a decreased risk for many diseases. Limited studies have been conducted on the level of motivation for smoking cessation, especially in the hospitalized active smokers.
Objectives: The aim of the study is to study the level of motivation for smoking cessation in hospitalized active smokers and the associated factors.
Methods: Hospitalized active smoker patients at the Department of Internal Medicine were recruited. Level of motivation of the subjects were assessed by SOCRATES-S. Descriptive statistic was applied to estimate frequency of level of motivation. Questionnaires of demographic data, data regarding current health condition, and smoking related history were assessed to determine association of these factors with the level of motivation.
Results: There were 51 subjects with mean age of 55.6 years. The overall sum score for level of motivation for subjects was mostly in the low-motivation group (86.3%). Looking separately in each three domains of the questionnaires, i.e. the recognition part, the ambivalence part, and the action part, most of the subjects were in the very low motivational group (54.9%, 31.4%, and 58.8% respectively). Presence of nicotine withdrawal symptoms and nicotine dependence were found to be factors associated with level of motivation for smoking cessation (P = 0.037).
Conclusion: Eighty-six percent of hospitalized active smoker subjects showed low motivation in smoking cessation. The awareness of this problem gives the space for further intervention to prevent continuation of smoking. The factors that might associate with the level of motivation are the level of nicotine dependence and existence of nicotine withdrawal symptoms.