PREDICTORS OF PARTICIPATION IN A SMOKING CESSATION INTERVENTION GROUPAMONG LOW-INCOME WOMEN

The predictors of participation in a smoking cessation group among low -income women were examined. Fifty smokers were recruited from a Midwe stern community primary care setting serving an uninsured, underinsure d, and Medicaid population. Participants completed a questionnaire bef ore the intervention, and eleven women chose to participate in the 6-w eek sessions. There were few differences between the control group (no nparticipants) and the intervention group. The intervention group had significantly higher intention-to-quit scores. Logistic regression ana lysis was used to predict group membership with age, self-efficacy, op timism, social support, nicotine dependence, intention-to-quit, and ot her smokers in the home as the predictor variables. The only two signi ficant predictors of participation in the cessation intervention were self-efficacy and intention-to-quit smoking. The higher the intention- to-quit score and the lower the self-efficacy score (the belief that o ne can be successful in not smoking); the more likely these women were to participate in the group intervention. Results are discussed in te rms of their clinical relevance as well as future research in the area . (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd.