Dispelling myths about gender differences in smoking cessation: population data from the USA, Canada and Britain

OBJECTIVES: Based mainly on findings from clinical settings, it has been claimed that women are less likely than men to quit smoking successfully. If true, this would have important implications for tobacco control interventions. The authors aimed to test this possibility using data from general population surveys. METHODS: The authors used data from major national surveys conducted in 2006-2007 in the USA (Tobacco Use Supplement to the Current Population Survey), Canada (Canadian Tobacco Use Monitoring Survey) and the UK (General Household Survey) to estimate rates of smoking cessation by age in men and women. RESULTS: The authors found a pattern of gender differences in smoking cessation which was consistent across countries. Below age 50, women were more likely to have given up smoking completely than men, while among older age groups, men were more likely to have quit than women. Across all age groups, there was relatively little difference in cessation between the sexes. CONCLUSIONS: Conclusions about gender differences in smoking cessation should be based on evidence from the general population rather than from atypical clinical samples. This study has found convincing evidence that men in general are not more likely to quit smoking successfully than women.