The influence of having a quit date on prediction of smoking cessation outcome

Abstract

The aim of this study was to explore whether factors predicting making a quit attempt are uniform within the preparation stage of the transtheoretical model (TTM). Participants were 283 smokers, all planning to quit in the next 30 days (preparation stage), who used a computer-generated tailored advice programme. Evidence of differences in prediction of making a quit attempt was found between smokers with and without a quit date, with the predictive power of a multivariate model markedly higher among those with a set date. In particular, one aspect of pros of smoking (smoking helps you feel better when things are bad) was predictive of progression among those with a quit date, but not among t..