A must read article from MEDICAL NEWS TODAY....
New research has looked into the enduring assumption that women are less successful than men in quitting smoking. The study, published in Tobacco Control, found convincing proof that across all age groups "there is relatively little difference in cessation between the sexes."
Data was examined from major national surveys in Canada, the United States, and England in order to approximate the rates of smoking cessation by age in men and women. All of the countries surveyed had a consistency in the pattern of sex differences in smoking cessation.
The authors revealed, "below age 50, women were more likely to have given up smoking completely compared to men, while among older age groups, men were more likely to have quit than women." There were sex differences in different age groups, but the researchers are not positive as to what accounted for this finding.
This is the most recent and largest epidemiological study to date, and the researchers found no convincing evidence to support the longstanding claims that smoking cessation is harder for females. The authors wrote, "The myth of female disadvantage at quitting smoking is bad, first and foremost, for women," because it could discourage them quickly and stop trying to quit, before they find out for themselves if they really can.
The researchers also pointed out that this claim could be harmful for men as well who may think they are at an advantage and then not put forth any effort to quit their bad habit. "It is time to put aside the idea that women are less successful than met at giving up smoking," they said.
The difficulty of smoking cessation based on sex should not be ignored, even though this new study did not reveal such findings. Several studies have shown that women experience more severe withdrawal symptoms than men, which makes quitting much harder and more uncomfortable for these women. Women are also less likely than men to have a beneficial experience from nicotine replacement therapy, which adds to the difficulty some women face when trying to quit.
Smoking is a terrible habit and difficult to quit, because smoking can lead to nicotine dependence and serious health problems. Smoking cessation can dramatically decrease the risk of health issues caused by tobacco use. There are beneficial treatments available for people struggling with chronic tobacco use. Multiple intervention methods will also help with dependence from the drug. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta revealed, "there are more former smokers than current smokers," today in our country.
In order to improve the length and quality of a smoker's life, the smoker must put an end to their nicotine addiction. If men and women cannot quit smoking on their own, there are many options available that will help fight their nicotine addictions.
The authors also pointed out that women who stop smoking relapse for different reasons than men. Stress, weight control, and negative emotions are all reasons women gave who have relapsed. Cessation programs need to look into this information in order to be successful.
While the majority of smokers are able to stop tobacco use on their own, some people may need help to quit. The CDC has made a list of effective methods to help them do so:
Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News Today
New research has looked into the enduring assumption that women are less successful than men in quitting smoking. The study, published in Tobacco Control, found convincing proof that across all age groups "there is relatively little difference in cessation between the sexes."
Data was examined from major national surveys in Canada, the United States, and England in order to approximate the rates of smoking cessation by age in men and women. All of the countries surveyed had a consistency in the pattern of sex differences in smoking cessation.
The authors revealed, "below age 50, women were more likely to have given up smoking completely compared to men, while among older age groups, men were more likely to have quit than women." There were sex differences in different age groups, but the researchers are not positive as to what accounted for this finding.
This is the most recent and largest epidemiological study to date, and the researchers found no convincing evidence to support the longstanding claims that smoking cessation is harder for females. The authors wrote, "The myth of female disadvantage at quitting smoking is bad, first and foremost, for women," because it could discourage them quickly and stop trying to quit, before they find out for themselves if they really can.
The researchers also pointed out that this claim could be harmful for men as well who may think they are at an advantage and then not put forth any effort to quit their bad habit. "It is time to put aside the idea that women are less successful than met at giving up smoking," they said.
The difficulty of smoking cessation based on sex should not be ignored, even though this new study did not reveal such findings. Several studies have shown that women experience more severe withdrawal symptoms than men, which makes quitting much harder and more uncomfortable for these women. Women are also less likely than men to have a beneficial experience from nicotine replacement therapy, which adds to the difficulty some women face when trying to quit.
Smoking is a terrible habit and difficult to quit, because smoking can lead to nicotine dependence and serious health problems. Smoking cessation can dramatically decrease the risk of health issues caused by tobacco use. There are beneficial treatments available for people struggling with chronic tobacco use. Multiple intervention methods will also help with dependence from the drug. Statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta revealed, "there are more former smokers than current smokers," today in our country.
In order to improve the length and quality of a smoker's life, the smoker must put an end to their nicotine addiction. If men and women cannot quit smoking on their own, there are many options available that will help fight their nicotine addictions.
The authors also pointed out that women who stop smoking relapse for different reasons than men. Stress, weight control, and negative emotions are all reasons women gave who have relapsed. Cessation programs need to look into this information in order to be successful.
While the majority of smokers are able to stop tobacco use on their own, some people may need help to quit. The CDC has made a list of effective methods to help them do so:
- Brief clinical interventions, such as a 10 minute meeting with a doctor where he offers advice and assistance
- Behavioral cessation therapies
- Counseling - individual, group, or online/phone
- Medication, such as nicotine replacement products, prescription and non-prescription medication including certain SSRI's
Written by Sarah Glynn
Copyright: Medical News Today
