Factors associated with short-term success among smokers attending stop smoking clinics in Malaysia
Wee Lei Hum, Principal Assistant Director, Ministry of Health Malaysia

Abstract
Background: A lot is known about predictors of success in quitting smoking but to date the studies have come almost exclusively from western countries. More data is needed on the cross-cultural generalisability of the findings.

Objectives: This study aimed to assess predictors of short-term success in stopping in smokers attending Malaysian smokers’ clinics.

Method: Two hundred smokers attending five stop-smoking clinics in Malaysia were interviewed using a structured questionnaire prior to the quit attempt. They were followed up four weeks after the quit attempt to assess smoking status (N=198).

Results: More than a quarter of respondents (24.2%) had abstained at the fourth week of their attempts. In line with findings from western samples, smokers were more likely to be successful if they were older, married, had tried to quit without cutting down, and doctor’s advice as motivation to quit. No association was found between FTND (a nicotine dependence measure) and cigarettes per day and success at 4-week.

Conclusions: The results show many similarities between this Malaysian sample and western samples, but also some differences. The study contributed to a new finding on abrupt quitting as successful predictor to short term abstinence in smokers who seek clinic help to quit smoking and if replicated will raises the question of what will be the best method of quitting.