Smokers' characteristics, pharmacological treatment and their association with weight gain during smoking cessation

Abstract

Tobacco addiction is responsible for many deaths. However, the adherence to the treatment is made difficult by several factors. Aim: Investigate if the weight gain during smoking cessation is associated with smokers characteristics or smoking cessation treatment strategies. Methods: 148 smokers (female=65.5%, age=50.2±11.6y) were evaluated at baseline and after one year during a smoking cessation program. At baseline, all patients were analyzed by general date, anthropometric measurements, motivation stage, nicotine dependence, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) and pharmacological treatment for smoking cessation. After one year of treatment, the patients were reevaluated for smoking cessation, weight changes. Weight gain above 3.0 kg was considered significant. We used T test, Chi² and multiple logistic regression. Results: Among 148 smokers, 81.8% received at least one pharmacological treatment and 20.2% used bupropion. After one year, 34.4% of patients (60.78% female, age: 51.5 ±11.3y) were abstinent and they gained more weight [5 (2-10) kg, p<0.001] than patients who continued smoking [0 (0-4) kg]. Only 17.6% of abstinent patients, used bupropion. Among smokers, 41.9% gained weight over 3.0 kg, however we did not find associations of weight gain with HADS scores, intensity of nicotine dependence, motivational status. The multiple logistic regression showed that current smoker had lower chance of weight gain after one year [OR:0.18 (CI95%:0.08-0.40)]. Conclusion: Ours results confirms previous findings of weight gain after smoking cessation and did not identify association between weight gain and any patient characteristics or treatment strategy.