READINESS OF OLDER ADULTS TO STOP SMOKING IN A TELEVISED INTERVENTION

Smokers aged 60 and older who enrolled in a televised smoking cessatio n program were compared with older smokers in the target population, u sing data from telephone interviews. Multiple logistic regressions ide ntified factors that differentiated older smokers at various stages of readiness to quit. Within the target population, smokers planning to quit someday (N = 238) were more likely to have had greater concern ab out health effects of smoking and perceived a stronger desire by other s for them to quit than smokers with no such plan (N = 127). Compared with older smokers in the target population who were planning to quit someday, program registrants (N = 95) perceived greater severity of lu ng cancer, had greater concern about the health effects of smoking, pe rceived greater reduction of lung cancer risk from quitting, and had m ore determination to quit. These findings indicate important factors a ccording to the stage in the smoking cessation process that must be co nsidered when intervening with older smokers.