Profile of tobacco users identified in primary care practice and predictors of readiness to quit: a cross-sectional survey.

backgroundThe aim of this study was to document the prevalence of tobacco use and describe the characteristics of tobacco users identified in primary care practices.

methodsWe conducted a cross-sectional survey in 49 primary care practices in the province of Ontario. Consecutive patients were screened for smoking status at the time of their clinic appointment. Patients reporting current tobacco use completed a survey, which documented sociodemographic and smoking-related characteristics. Multilevel modelling was used to examine predictors of readiness to quit smoking and the presence of anxiety and/or depression.

resultsA total of 56 592 patients were screened, and 5245 tobacco users participated in the survey. Prevalence of tobacco use was 18.2% and varied significantly across practices (range 12.4%-36.1%). Of the respondents, 46.3% reported current anxiety and/or depression, and 61.3% reported smoking within the first 30 minutes of waking. A total of 41.1% of respondents reported they were ready to quit smoking in the next 6 months, and 30.1% reported readiness to quit in the next 30 days. Readiness to quit was positively associated with higher self-efficacy, male sex, presence of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and more years of tobacco use. The presence of anxiety and/or depression was associated with lower cessation self-efficacy and time to first cigarette within 30 minutes of waking, but did not predict readiness to quit.

interpretationTobacco users identified in primary care practices reported high rates of nicotine dependence and anxiety and/or depression, but also high rates of readiness to quit. Study findings support the need to tailor interventions to address the needs of tobacco users identified in primary care settings.