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April 20, 2026Tobacco Prevention & Cessation0 citationsOpen Access

Prospective study of predictors of continuous smoking abstinence after hospital discharge

ARA RobersonKPKinsey PebleyKCK. Michael Cummings

Key Result

Exposure to the inpatient tobacco treatment program was not associated with smoking abstinence at 6 weeks, whereas longer hospital stays significantly predicted abstinence (AOR 1.42).

Study Design

Type

Observational (n=985)

Multicenter

Yes

Structured PICO

What are the predictors of continuous smoking abstinence, and does exposure to an inpatient tobacco treatment program improve abstinence rates in adult patients 6 weeks after hospital discharge?

P
Population
985 adult current smokers admitted to the hospital for at least 48 hours between March and December 2021, discharged home, and followed up 6 weeks later. Mean age 53.7 years, 45.7% female, 57.9% White.
I
Intervention
Exposure to the hospital's tobacco treatment program (TTP), which included options for Enhanced care (bedside consultation plus automated post-discharge follow-up call) or Basic care (post-discharge follow-up call only).
C
Comparator
No exposure to the tobacco treatment program (TTP) or Basic care.
O
Outcome
Self-reported continuous smoking abstinence 6 weeks after hospital discharge.patient reported

Longer hospital stays, older age, and male sex were significant predictors of smoking abstinence 6 weeks post-discharge, whereas exposure to an inpatient tobacco treatment program did not significantly improve abstinence rates.

Main Result

Effect estimate: AOR 1.29 (95% CI 0.86-1.93)

Absolute Event Rate: 22.1% vs 18.2%

p-value: p=>0.05

Limitations

  • Smoking status was self-reported and not biochemically verified, which may have resulted in an overestimation of abstinence rates.
  • Residual confounding due to failure to adjust for unmeasured confounders such as nicotine dependence and past efforts to quit.
  • The sample size available for measuring smoking abstinence was relatively modest compared to the large number of predictor variables examined.
  • Residual confounding due to failure to adjust for unmeasured confounders.
  • Did not collect information about important cessation predictors such as nicotine dependence, number of cigarettes smoked per day, past efforts to quit smoking, and the use of other nicotine-containing tobacco products.
  • Sample size available for measuring smoking abstinence was relatively modest compared to the large number of predictor variables examined.
  • Some cell sizes for diagnoses were small and may preclude reliably testing associations.

Abstract

INTRODUCTION: Smoking after discharge from the hospital increases the risk of adverse health outcomes such as unplanned hospital readmissions. This prospective study explores predictors of self-reported continuous smoking abstinence in adult patients 6 weeks after hospital discharge. METHODS: The study population includes 985 adult currently smoking patients, admitted to the hospital between March and December 2021, who were discharged home following their hospital stay and followed up 6 weeks later to reassess smoking status. Electronic health records (EHRs) were used to measure potential predictors of smoking abstinence and included patient demographic factors (age, gender, race, insurance status), clinical characteristics (i.e. length of hospital stay, Charlson Comorbidity score, and other comorbidities such as alcohol or other substance use disorders), and exposure to the hospital's tobacco treatment program (TTP). RESULTS: Among the 985 patients reached for follow-up, 21.1% reported continuous abstinence from cigarette use 6 weeks after hospital discharge. In adjusted analyses, significant predictors of smoking abstinence included being male (adjusted odds ratio, AOR=1.5; 95% CI: 1.0-2.1), older age (AOR=1.02; 95% CI: 1.0-1.04), fewer years smoking (AOR=0.97; 95% CI: 0.95-0.99), and longer hospital stay length (AOR=1.42; 95% CI: 1.1-1.8). A diagnosis of substance use disorder was also associated with lower odds of abstinence (AOR=0.37; 95% CI: 0.2-0.7) while exposure to the TTP was not associated with smoking abstinence at follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Patients requiring longer hospitalizations were more likely to report smoking abstinence after discharge.

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Cite This Study

Roberson et al. (2026) conducted an observational in Current smoking patients admitted to the hospital (n=985). Tobacco treatment program (Enhanced care) vs. Basic care was evaluated on Self-reported continuous smoking abstinence at 6 weeks (AOR 1.29, 95% CI 0.86-1.93, p=>0.05). Exposure to the inpatient tobacco treatment program was not associated with smoking abstinence at 6 weeks, whereas longer hospital stays significantly predicted abstinence (AOR 1.42).

synapsesocial.com/papers/6a14292ff88db7183c59cf69https://doi.org/10.18332/tpc/217012
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