Smoking behaviors of Hong Kong Chinese hospitalized patients and predictors of smoking abstinence after discharge

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Hospitalization is an excellent teachable moment for smoking cessation as patients being hospitalized with smoking-related diseases may increase their awareness and change their perceptions of vulnerability, consequently enhancing their motivation to quit smoking. Additionally, hospitalized patients are refrained from smoking temporarily due to the smoke-free policies. Hospitalization also offers more time for patients to receive smoking cessation interventions. However, smoking behaviors and factors that lead to smoking abstinence after discharge among hospitalized patients in Hong Kong remain relatively underexplored. This study aimed to examine the smoking behaviors of hospitalized patients and factors leading to smoking abstinence after discharge. Methods: A cross-sectional design was conducted in three outpatient clinics in different regions in Hong Kong. A total of 382 Chinese patients were recruited. They were invited to complete a structured questionnaire assessing their smoking behaviors before, during and after hospitalization. Results: The results indicated that more than one-fifth (23.6%) of smokers smoked secretly during hospitalization. More than three-quarters (76.1%) of smokers resumed to smoke after discharge. The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis found that number of days of hospitalization admission in the preceding year (OR: 1.02; 95%CI: 1.01–1.27; p=.036), patients’ perceived correlation between smoking and their illness (OR: 1.08; 95%CI: 1.01–1.17; p=.032), withdrawal symptoms experienced during hospitalization (OR: 0.75; 95%CI: 0.58–0.97; p=.027), and smoking cessation support from healthcare professionals (OR: 1.18; 95%CI: 1.07–1.36; p=.014) were significant predictors of smoking abstinence after discharge. Conclusions: Despite of the implementation of smoke-free policies, some smokers continued to smoke secretly during hospitalization. A majority even resumed smoking after discharge. This study identified the predictors of smoking abstinence after discharge, aiding the development of appropriate and innovative smoking cessation interventions to assist patients achieve more successful smoking abstinence and less relapse.