Rates and predictors of renewed quitting after relapse during a one-year follow-up among primary care patients.

Background: Most people who quit smoking relapse within a year of quitting. Little is known about what prompts renewed quitting after relapse or how often this results in abstinence.

Purpose: This study seeks to identify rates, efficacy, and predictors of renewed quit attempts after relapse during a 1-year follow-up.

Methods: Primary care patients in a comparative effectiveness trial of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies reported daily smoking every 6-12 weeks for 12 months to determine relapse, renewed quitting, and 12-month abstinence rates.

Results: Of 894 known relapsers, 291 (33%) renewed quitting for at least 24 h, and 99 (34%) of these were abstinent at follow-up. The average latency to renewed quitting was 106 days and longer latencies predicted greater success. Renewed quitting was more likely for older, male, less dependent smokers, and later abstinence was predicted by fewer depressive symptoms and longer past abstinence.

Conclusions: Renewed quitting is common and produces meaningful levels of cessation.