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Smoking cessation attitudes and practices among cancer survivors – United States, 2015

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Abstract

Purpose

The prevalence of smoking among cancer survivors is similar to the general population. However, there is little evidence on the prevalence of specific smoking cessation behaviors among adult cancer survivors.

Methods

The 2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) data were analyzed to examine the prevalence of smoking cessation behaviors and use of treatments among cancer survivors. Weighted self-reported prevalence estimates and 95% confidence intervals were calculated using a sample of 2527 cancer survivors.

Results

Among this sample of US cancer survivors, 12% were current smokers, 37% were former smokers, and 51% were never smokers. Compared with former and never smokers, current smokers were younger (< 65 years), less educated, and less likely to report being insured or Medicaid health insurance (p < 0.01). More males were former smokers than current or never smokers. Current smokers reported wanting to quit (57%), a past year quit attempt (49%), or a health professional advised them to quit (66%). Current smokers reported the use of smoking cessation counseling (8%) or medication (38%).

Conclusions

Even after a cancer diagnosis, about one in eight cancer survivors continued to smoke. All could have received advice to quit smoking by a health professional, but a third did not.

Implications for Cancer Survivors

Health professionals could consistently advise cancer survivors about the increased risks associated with continued smoking, provide them with cessation counseling and medications, refer them to other free cessation resources, and inform them of cessation treatments covered by their health insurance.

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Funding

All funding was provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, 4770 Buford Highway, MS-F76, Atlanta, GA, 30341, USA

    M. Shayne Gallaway, Behnoosh Momin, Mary Puckett, Natasha Buchanan Lunsford, Kathleen R. Ragan & Elizabeth A. Rohan

  2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Office on Smoking and Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Atlanta, GA, USA

    Rebecca Glover-Kudon & Stephen Babb

Authors
  1. M. Shayne Gallaway
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  2. Rebecca Glover-Kudon
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  3. Behnoosh Momin
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  4. Mary Puckett
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  5. Natasha Buchanan Lunsford
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  6. Kathleen R. Ragan
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  7. Elizabeth A. Rohan
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  8. Stephen Babb
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Contributions

Gallaway: conceptualization, methodology, formal analysis, investigation, writing original-draft, writing-review and editing, and project administration. Glover-Kudon: conceptualization, methodology, writing original-draft, writing-review and editing, resources, and project administration. Momin, Puckett, Buchanan Lunsford, Ragan, and Rohan: conceptualization, methodology, writing original-draft, writing-review, and editing. Babb: conceptualization, methodology, writing original-draft, writing-review and editing, resources, and project administration.

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Correspondence to M. Shayne Gallaway.

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Gallaway, M.S., Glover-Kudon, R., Momin, B. et al. Smoking cessation attitudes and practices among cancer survivors – United States, 2015. J Cancer Surviv 13, 66–74 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11764-018-0728-2

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