Relapse Rate and Factors Related to Relapse in a 1-Year Follow-Up of Subjects Participating in a Smoking Cessation Program.

Background: The most important and difficult task when it comes to reducing tobacco-related morbidity and mortality is to convince smokers to quit and to maintain their abstinence. This study aimed to determine the smoking relapse rate and factors related to relapse in subjects who participated in a smoking cessation program and completed a 1-y follow-up in our center.

Methods: The study included 550 subjects who applied to a smoking cessation clinic from June 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011 and completed the 1-y follow-up.

Results: After 1 y, 282 (51.4%) subjects had relapsed, 132 (24%) had quit smoking, and 135 (24.6%) could not be contacted. The mean age ± SD was 41.5 ± 10.8 y, and 52.5% were male. There was no difference between non-relapsed and relapsed subjects with regard to age, sex, average smoking duration and daily number of cigarettes, reason to quit, education level, presence of symptoms and concomitant diseases, Fagerström nicotine dependence score, Beck depression score, and frequency of pharmacotherapy administration. In the relapsed group, the age began smoking was younger (P = .05), and the longest prior duration of abstinence was shorter (P = .04). The average number of support contacts was found to be significantly higher in the non-relapsed subjects (P < .001). Logistic regression analysis revealed alcohol intake to be a factor influencing relapse (odds ratio: 2.11, 95% CI: 1.13-3.93, P = .02), as was the number of support contacts (odds ratio: 2.06, 95% CI: 1.59-2.65, P < .001). The presence of drug adverse effects was close to being significant (odds ratio: 1.96, 95% CI: 0.93-4.10, P = .07).

Conclusion: The relapse rate in a 1-y period was 51.4%. Similar to previous studies, alcohol intake presented a relapse risk. In subjects receiving drug treatment, planning support meetings more frequently and paying attention to adverse effects may increase the success of smoking cessation.