Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25979871›Full record

Trial reportBMJ open2015

Does smoking reduction worsen mental health? A comparison of two observational approaches.

Gemma Taylor, Amy Taylor, Marcus R Munafò, Ann McNeill, Paul Aveyard

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
In one paragraph

Trial report in BMJ open, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Gemma TaylorPrimary Care Clinical Sciences, School of Health & Population Sciences, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, UK.
Amy TaylorUK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, UK MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Marcus R MunafòUK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, UK MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU), University of Bristol, Bristol, UK School of Experimental Psychology, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Ann McNeillUK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, UK Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, UK.
Paul AveyardUK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, UK Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences, The University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.

Funding

LCenter for Clinical and Translational Science and TrainingUL1TR001425 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · PI HEUBI, JAMES E., KISSELA, BRETT M · 2015 to 2024
$37.5M
Cincinnati Center for Clinical and Translational Sciences and TrainingUL1TR000077 · NCATS · UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI · PI HEUBI, JAMES E., TSEVAT, JOEL · 2012 to 2014
$9.9M
British Heart FoundationCancer Research UKMedical Research Council G9815508Medical Research Council MC_UU_12013/3Medical Research Council MC_UU_12013/6Medical Research Council MR/K023195/1NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR000077NCATS NIH HHS UL1 TR001425
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesThe association between smoking reduction and mental health is of particular interest given that many smokers report that smoking offers mental health benefits. We aimed to assess the association between smoking reduction and change in mental health using two different analytical approaches to determine if there was any evidence of an association. There were no prior hypotheses.

designA secondary analysis of prospective individual level patient data from 5 merged placebo-controlled randomised trials of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking reduction.

participantsAll participants were adult smokers, selected because they wanted to reduce but not stop smoking, and had smoked for at least 3 years. Participants were excluded if they were pregnant, breastfeeding, under psychiatric care, deemed to be unfit by a general practitioner, or part of a cessation programme. 2066 participants were enrolled in the trials, 177 participants were biologically validated as prolonged reducers, and 509 as continuing smokers at both 6-week and 18-week follow-ups. PRIMARY OUTCOME: Change in mental health from baseline to an 18-week follow-up was measured using the emotional well-being subscale on the Short Form Health Survey-36.

resultsAfter adjustment for confounding variables, the differences for reducers compared with continuing smokers were: regression modelling -0.6 (95% CI -4.4 to 3.2) and propensity score matching 1.1 (95% CI -2.0 to 4.1).

conclusionsSmoking reduction, sustained for at least 12 weeks, was not associated with change in mental health, suggesting that reducing smoking was no better or worse for mental health than continuing smoking. Clinicians offering smoking reduction as a route to quit can be confident that, on average, smoking reduction is not associated with negative change in mental health.

Indexed as

Mental HealthMood DisordersSmokingSmoking CessationSubstance Withdrawal SyndromeTobacco Use DisorderAdultEmotionsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedNicotianaNicotineNicotinic AgonistsProspective StudiesNicotineNicotinic AgonistsMENTAL HEALTHSmoking ReductionTobacco

Identifiers

PMID25979871
PMCPMC4442156

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.