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Purpose: Lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) young adults smoke at rates much higher than the general population. Young adults, in general, are less likely to seek medical help for smoking cessation and LGB individuals are less likely to seek health care generally. Alternative methods to encourage smoking cessation are necessary. This research seeks to establish whether LGB young adults in California would be willing to use social media for smoking cessation.

Approach: We conducted 41 qualitative interviews among LGB young adults in the San Francisco Bay Area and Los Angeles in Fall 2014.

Findings: The results suggest that our participants were interested in a LGB-focused social media intervention, as long as the intervention was private or anonymous and moderated. Further, across topical areas our participants spoke extensively about the import of social connections. We may be able to leverage these connections to encourage cessation.

Research Limitations: This is a qualitative, non-generalizable dataset from a fairly limited geographic area.

Public Health Implications: Online smoking cessation interventions aimed at young adults would benefit from further testing with LGB young adults to ensure efficacy among this population. In addition, states and localities concerned about young adult LGB smoking might benefit from investing in an online socially mediated cessation forum. Online interventions could be scalable and might be useful for other groups who regularly face discrimination, stigma, or other stressors that make successful smoking cessation difficult.

The purpose of this study is to identify which social and psychological factors better determine intentions to quit smoking to inform public health policy.

Data for this cross-sectional study were collected via face-to-face interaction following the pen-and-paper method. A total of 371 usable responses were received from randomly selected respondents of eight public sector universities located in the South Punjab province of Pakistan. Partial least squares structural equation modeling analysis was performed using SmartPLS program. A supplementary qualitative study, based on 21 in-depth interviews with the smokers, was conducted to augment findings of the quantitative study.

Results showed that protection motivation theory and theory of planned behaviour are supported to predict intentions to quit smoking. Subjective norms have a greater influence on intentions to quit smoking than attitudes towards smoking cessation, while perceived behavioural control fails to predict intentions to quit smoking. Perceived rewards and perceived cost are significant in predicting attitudes towards smoking cessation, while extrinsic rewards predict intentions to quit smoking.

The existing models reported in the literature have sparsely investigated the cognitive (such as motivation and emotions) and social factors (such as social influence and behavioural controls) together as determinants of intentions to quit smoking, leaving room for more studies on an integrated model of these factors. This study takes the opportunity and proposes an integrated model encompassing psycho-social factors to predict tobacco consumption quitting behaviour in an emerging economy context.

This research examines how construal level shapes the effectiveness of rational (vs emotional) messages for inducing cessation behaviors. Concrete mindsets foster self-improvement goals, whereas abstract mindsets boost self-relevance goals.

In four studies, this research examines the moderating role of construal level on health messages and the underlying mechanism of goal pursuit.

Results demonstrate that concrete (vs abstract) mindsets increase consumers’ intent to engage in cessation behaviors when exposed to rational (vs emotional) messages. Consistent with this study’s theorizing, the authors found that self-improvement goals underlie the effects for concrete mindsets, whereas self-relevance goals mediate the effects for abstract mindsets.

The reported effects are limited to health messages focusing on cessation behaviors.

This research can help public policymakers to design more effective health messages to foster specific cessation behaviors – quitting smoking and reducing drinking – focusing on concrete (vs abstract) mindsets and rational (vs emotional) messages.

This investigation highlights construal level as an important moderator for message appeals (rational vs emotional) on cessation behaviors, along with the underlying mechanism of goal pursuit, thus contributing to health marketing literature.

The purpose of this paper is to review the barriers in the dissemination of effective smoking cessation treatments and services globally. Offering tobacco users help to stop using tobacco is a key demand reduction measure outlined under Article 14 of the World Health Organisation (WHO) Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Implementing Article 14 can reap great dividends for the billion plus tobacco users around the world and their families, friends and societies.

A review of the status of the global implementation of Article 14 using available literature on smoking cessation products, services and national guidelines. Discussing innovative approaches being currently explored in South Asia that can lead to faster adoption and implementation of Article 14 globally.

Major gaps remain in cessation products’ availability and resource allocation for cessation services globally. Current licensed products are falling short on delivering and sustaining smoking cessation. Innovation in cessation products and services needs to build on learnings in nicotine pharmacokinetics, behavioural insights from consumer research and tap into 21st century tools such as mobile based apps. National implementation of FCTC’s Article 14 needs to follow guidelines that encourage integration into existing health programmes and health-care practitioners’ (HCPs) upskilling.

Smoking cessation is a desirable health outcome and nicotine replacement products are a means of achieving cessation through tobacco harm reduction. E-cigarettes are sophisticated nicotine replacement products. Innovation is urgently needed to fill the gaps in smoking cessation products and services, and for converting global policy into local practice. In low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), HCPs’ knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding tobacco use and cessation may hold the key to rapidly scaling up cessation support and delivery to achieve FCTC objectives sooner. Additionally, HCPs can play an important role in offering smoking cessation support in existing national health programmes for TB, cancer screening and maternal and child health. Also, widely prevalent smartphone devices may deliver smoking cessation through telemedicine in LMICs sooner, leapfrogging the hurdles of the existing health-care infrastructure.

This paper aims to describe the relationship between functional health literacy level and smoking cessation outcomes.

Participants in an inpatient smoking cessation program in a mid‐western city in the USA were enrolled and the Short Test of Functional Health Literacy in Adults was administered while the participant was still admitted. A follow‐up telephone call was made three months after the intervention in order to assess self‐reported smoking cessation.

A total of 30 participants were enrolled. At the three‐month follow‐up, 22 patients were currently smoking and eight had quit smoking. Chi‐square analysis indicated that there was no difference in the incidence of successful smoking cessation based on level of functional health literacy. The results of a stepwise logistic regression analysis suggest that predicting whether a study participant will quit smoking or not appears to be a function of the participant's environment, since the only variable that contributed significantly to the equation was environmental factors.

The results of this study suggest that the participants had a relatively high level of functional health literacy. Participants with all levels of functional health literacy were able to quit smoking, as the incidence of smoking cessation was no different across levels of functional health literacy. A participant's ability to quit smoking did not appear to be a function of their functional health literacy, but instead appeared to be a function of their environment.

Health educators and smoking cessation counselors need to consider all factors that have an impact on people's ability to quit smoking, but environmental factors may deserve additional consideration.

To examine the determinants of smoking cessation and tobacco consumption in the European Union (EU) countries. Specifically, the paper seeks to examine the role of smoking risk perceptions and anti‐smoking regulation.

The paper utilizes multivariate analysis of an EU representative survey.

From all anti‐smoking policies examined, regulatory and information policies seem to show some influence on the cessation decision. Furthermore, once individuals decide to quit smoking they tend to perceive smoking risks differently.

The main policies influencing smoking cessation in the EU are informational campaigns and regulation policies. However, tobacco price does not seem to influence smoking cessation such as advertising.

Regulation is largely associated with smoking cessation due to the role of social interactions of smoking and thus we might expect risk regulation policies to continue to impose constraints on the capacity of smokers to freely smoke.

The use of a common questionnaire for a sample representative of EU countries. The specific consideration of regulatory variables and risk perceptions.

Although knowledge sharing in online communities has been studied for many years, little is known about the determinants for individuals' knowledge sharing in online health communities (OHCs) surrounding smoking cessation. Examining the determinants of knowledge sharing in such OHCs from the social capital perspective may prove particularly enlightening.

A questionnaire-based online user survey of two smoking cessation OHCs, one based in Finland and one based in China, was performed. Performing data analysis with partial least squares (SmartPLS 3.0), the authors developed a model conceptualizing the structural, cognitive and relational dimensions of social capital as drivers for knowledge sharing in smoking cessation OHCs, with users' stage in giving up smoking as a moderator.

The results show that structural capital (social ties) and relational capital (reciprocity) are important motivators behind knowledge sharing in smoking cessation OHCs, and the authors found a moderating effect of the stage in quitting on the antecedents' relationship with knowledge sharing in these OHCs.

The study enriches understanding of knowledge sharing in smoking cessation OHCs, contributing to theory and identifying practical implications for such groups' administration.

An empirical study investigated the antecedents to perceived usefulness (PU) and its consequences in the context of smoking cessation online health communities (OHCs).

To validate a research model for perceived informational support, perceived emotional support and perceived esteem support, the authors conducted a partial-least-squares analysis of empirical data from an online survey (N = 173) of users of two smoking cessation OHCs. The proposed model articulates these as antecedents to PU from a social support perspective, and knowledge sharing and continuance intention are expressed as consequences of PU.

The empirical study identified that the PU of smoking cessation OHCs is influenced by perceived emotional support and perceived esteem support, and perceived informational support indirectly affects PU via these factors. In turn, PU exerts a positive influence on both knowledge sharing and continuance intention. Also, knowledge sharing positively affects continuance intention.

The study contributes to scholarship on users' postadoption behavior in the context of smoking cessation OHCs by disentangling the antecedents to PU from a social support perspective and pinpointing some important consequences of PU. The research also has practical implications for managing smoking cessation OHCs.

The purpose of this paper is to explore a health program comprising the individual experiences, successes and setbacks of adults in an individually tailored, community-based smoking intervention and physical activity program. The program incorporated physical activity consultation (PAC) and phone support from the well-established Quit smoking cessation program, and in partnership with Melton City Council, Victoria, Australia.

Expert facilitators in PAC led the intervention. The program was titled “ActivePlus” and the intervention was conducted for eight weeks. Post-program facilitator guidance continued for three weeks and follow-up on participants was conducted at week 24. Five participants continued to week 24 and were interviewed. Three case descriptions were chosen as a sample to analyse using descriptive content analysis to illustrate the range of experiences, successes and setbacks reported by these individual participants.

Smoking reduction/cessation results varied among cases, but increases in PA were sustained. Participants valued the expert support of PAC facilitators, though usage and appraisal of Quit telephone smoking cessation services was mixed. The individually tailored PAC was valued by participants, who felt it also contributed to their smoking reduction/cessation goals.

In future, the intervention would benefit from the same ongoing support in smoking cessation as the PAC. Practitioners should consider the benefit of including PAC in smoking cessation interventions. However, such interventions should be individually tailored and include facilitation by a PAC and a smoking cessation expert.

Few studies have looked at completely individualised smoking cessation interventions using PAC. The current study also addresses the recommendations of previous research to investigate the use of more intense PA intervention supported by expert PAC facilitation.

Veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have high lifetime rates of smoking and often have substantial difficulty quitting. However, relatively little research has focussed on the use of Veterans Health Administration (VHA) intensive tobacco cessation counseling services by veterans with PTSD and the characteristics of veterans with PTSD who do and do not use these services. The paper aims to discuss these issues.

The present study is an analysis of national VHA administrative data fiscal year 2012 that identified utilization rates of VHA intensive tobacco cessation counseling among veterans with diagnoses of both PTSD and tobacco use disorder (TUD) (N=144,990) and the correlates of tobacco cessation counseling use.

Altogether, 7,921 veterans with PTSD diagnosed with TUD used VHA tobacco cessation services (5.5 percent). Veterans with PTSD who used tobacco cessation counseling services were more likely to have been homeless, to have a comorbid drug use disorder, and had used other VHA services more frequently than their counterparts who did not access tobacco cessation counseling. The use of outpatient mental health and substance use services was the strongest correlate of tobacco cessation counseling use by veterans in this sample. Notably, veterans with PTSD, TUD and HIV were more likely to engage in tobacco cessation services.

This study demonstrates that future efforts should focus on increasing provider and veteran awareness of and accessibility to VHA intensive tobacco cessation counseling for veterans with PTSD.