PREDICTORS OF SMOKING CESSATION AND MAINTENANCE

A follow-up study of 263 volunteers who had completed a national smoki ng cessation program was conducted to measure the relative contributio n of stress coping resources, smoking history. loci for health control . and certain demographic factors to the maintenance of smoking cessat ion. Stress coping resources and smoking history variables proved to b e more predictive of the maintenance of abstinence than either perceiv ed locus of control or demographic variables. Coping resources in the forms of perceived confidence. physical health. physical fitness. prob lem solving, self-directedness, and tension control were useful in pre dicting abstinence maintenance. Contrary to some earlier studies, no g ender differences in relapse rates were found, and smoking a greater n umber of cigarettes daily a nd smoking cigarettes with a higher tar co ntent were related to greater success in maintaining smoking abstinenc e. As was found in previous studies. the presence of other smokers in the household contributed to relapse. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.