Factors Associated with Adherence to Transdermal Nicotine Patches within a Smoking Cessation Effectiveness Trial.

Background: Adherence to transdermal nicotine patches, one of the most popular and effective treatment for nicotine dependence, remains very low and is a strong predictor of cessation rates. This study examined individual factors related to adherence as well as differences over time between adherent (≥ 80% of daily patch use) and non-adherent participants (< 80% of daily patch use).

Methods: We analyzed data from 440 participants who received 8 weeks of 21mg transdermal nicotine and 4 behavioral counseling sessions within an effectiveness trial that examined the effects of long-term treatment.