Quitting Smoking

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Author:
Michael Russell

Much has been studied to further understand smoking initiation in adolescents and smoking cessation in adults, including the social cognitive theory of self-efficacy and outcome expectations. Nevertheless, their role as predictors of quitting smoking requires further study. It is important to develop measures of self efficacy to resist smoking in various situations identified by adolescents as high risk for initiating smoking and outcome expectations across psychosocial, emotional and physical aspects for quitting smoking for good. An age-appropriate criterion for quitting smoking completely in order to determine the perceived consequence of smoking cessation even among adolescents who smoked less than daily is important. A higher self-efficacy to refuse to give in to smoking would be associated with fewer cigarettes at follow up, as well as higher expectations of positive outcomes for stopping smoking.

There are three main motivational concepts predicting the intention to planned behavioral change, such as smoking cessation: self-efficacy, social influence and attitude. Attitude consists of perceived advantages and disadvantages of a behavior, which can be determined by assessing the beliefs involving this behavior and the evaluation of these beliefs. Self-efficacy can be measured by examining perceived capability to perform and maintain a specific behavior. Determining beliefs that involve the influence of social environment on a behavior can assess social influence.

A recent study in the United States by Solomon et al., (2005) showed that there was a significant relationship between the outcomes expectations and self-efficacy and the desire to quit smoking. Rating scales were drafted and data collected was factor analyzed using the scales. Scores were then examined a year later. The relationships between sub-scale scores acquired measured at baseline and cigarettes smoked per week measured at one-year follow up were determined. Self-efficacy measure was composed of two cohesive factors and that these sub-scales correlated consistently with predictions from the social cognitive theory construct. Higher self-efficacy to resist smoking in the presence of negative affect and social opportunities to smoke were prognostic of adolescent smokers smoking fewer cigarettes per week a year later, with baseline smoking behaviors adjusted. As predicted, higher expectations of negative emotional outcomes for quitting smoking were correlated with smoking more cigarettes per week a year later. The affect regulation properties of smoking predict further smoking even in occasional smokers. The effect of gender differences was also assessed if this factor would affect self-efficacy and outcome expectations at the one-year follow up. Women seemed to have significantly greater endorsement of negative emotional outcome expectations than did men; however, further analysis revealed that the difference was mostly due to an item regarding "concern about weight if quit smoking". Females scored significantly higher in this sub-scale than did men. This was the only gender related difference found in the study.

Thus, to motivate behavioral change in adolescents who currently smoke, one must emphasize on smoker's perception of the advantages and disadvantages of smoking cessation. The emotional aspect in dealing with these individuals should not be disregarded, since affect regulation may be an important consideration in helping adolescents manage their smoking.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Addictions

A Quick Note From The Publisher... If you like the article above, you may be interested in the following article which is also related to Smoking... The Latest Quit Smoking Help Methods There are numerous different smoking cessation methods that you can use to eliminate smoking from your being. From ordinary methods to alternative medicines, there are many ways to stop smoking. Nonetheless, even the best quit smoking ways are fruitless if you are not ready to discontinue. Once you have made the resolution that quit smoking help is for you, you will be well on your way to healthier and more energetic lifestyle. Accept the challenges, so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory. General George S Patton Ways to Quit Smoking One of the newest quit smoking aids accessible is the quit smoking help laser treatment. Laser quit smoking help care involves placing a beam of light to a selection of energy points in the body. The laser induces the discharge of endorphins in the body, and these chemicals lend a hand to reduce the patient's nicotine cravings. The treatment is comparatively cheap when it comes to laser treatments, but it does cost a bit more than alternate stop smoking methods. The treatments typically cost about one hundred dollars a meeting. Nevertheless, some patients find laser treatments effective after just one or two sessions. Actions speak louder than words. But without thought and focus those actions are like a meandering river. Michael Ross. Like laser smoking stop treatment, acupuncture is another natural quit smoking support aid. Although there are studies that have been conducted that have found acupuncture to be an ineffective stop smoking approach, there are many individuals who swear by the treatments. If you have an unclosed mind and are willing to try this natural quit smoking aid, it may in fact help you make it through those first hours of cravings. Acupuncture treatments involve sticking needles into predetermined...