Table 1.
Characteristics of Study Patients
| Variable | Pre-intervention (n = 105) | Intervention (n = 100) |
|---|---|---|
| Age, mean (sd) | 58.9 (8.7) | 59.3 (10.3) |
| Gender, % male | 97 | 98 |
| Race, % nonwhite | 9 | 3 |
| Highest grade, median (IQR) | 12 (12–14) | 12 (12–14) |
| Marital status, % married or living with companion | 42 | 40 |
| Self-rated health, % excellent-very good | 13 | 29* |
| Alcohol use in past 3 months, % | 51 | 47 |
| Admission diagnoses, % | ||
| Cardiovascular system | 31 | 30 |
| Respiratory system | 13 | 15 |
| Digestive system | 8 | 12 |
| Endocrine and metabolic diseases | 6 | 5 |
| Neuropsychiatric disorders | 6 | 7 |
| Miscellaneous† | 36 | 31 |
| Smoking-related variables | ||
| Cigarettes per day, median (IQR) | 20 (10–20) | 20 (10–20) |
| Nicotine dependence (FTND), median (IQR) | 4 (3–6) | 5 (3–6) |
| Minnesota Nicotine Withdrawal Scale, median (IQR)‡ | 12 (6–16.5) | 10 (4–16) |
| Any smoking-related medical problem, %§ | 75 | 75 |
| Do you believe that you currently have a smoking-related medical problem? (% yes) | 46 | 46 |
| Do you believe that quitting smoking would improve your health? (% at least “somewhat”) | 72 | 78 |
| Prior quit attempts (≥ 1 full day), median (IQR)** | 5 (1–12) | 3 (1–7)* |
| Contemplation ladder (0–10), mean (sd) | 7 (5–10) | 8 (5–10) |
| Have you smoked any cigarettes while in hospital? (% yes) | 31 | 26 |
| Likelihood of staying off cigarettes after hospital discharge†† | 36 | 48 |
sd standard deviation, IQR interquartile range, FTND Fagerstrom Test of Nicotine Dependence
* p ≤ 0.05
†“Miscellaneous” includes abnormal clinical/laboratory findings and neoplastic, musculoskeletal, dermatologic, genitourinary, or infectious conditions,
‡Patients were asked to rate each of nine withdrawal symptoms over the past 24 h on a 5-point ordinal scale (range of total score 0–36).
§Based on the US Surgeon General’s 2004 Report, the following conditions are considered smoking-related: coronary heart disease, congestive heart failure, stroke or transient ischemic attack, chronic obstructive lung disease, peripheral vascular disease, tobacco-related cancer (e.g., lung, oral cavity).
**Patients who reported not having made any quit attempts were assigned a value of zero.
††Percent reporting at least “Somewhat likely” (based on 5-point Likert scale)