Self-Reporting of Smoking Cessation in Cardiac Patients: How Reliable Is It and Is Reliability Associated With Patient Characteristics?

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to determine the accuracy of smoking cessation self-reports by cardiac patients who participated in a smoking cessation program, and to determine which patient characteristics are associated with an inaccurate self-report during a follow-up interview 12 months after the start of the program.

Methods: Smoking cessation self-reports (point prevalence abstinence) were validated against salivary cotinine levels. Using χ analyses, patients who reported accurately being a nonsmoker were compared with those who reported inaccurately being a nonsmoker (biochemically verified as smokers) on factors the literature has indicated to be associated with inaccurate self-report in smoking.