National Smoking Cessation Services (NSCS) enrollment and their effect on long-term tobacco cessation in Korea: Results from a 1-year prospective follow-up of NSCS participants

INTRODUCTION The study aimed to identify predictors associated with long-term tobacco cessation at 12-month follow-up among users of the National Smoking Cessation Services (NSCS) in Korea. METHODS To measure the long-term effect of NSCS delivery, the target sample size of 5167 adult smokers registered in the NSCS in 2018 was enrolled with proportional random sampling. A multiple logistic regression analysis (crude, adjusted) was performed to identify the changes in smoking status at the 12-month follow-up after the last NSCS enrollment and the potential factors associated with changes in smoking status. RESULTS The response rate to reach the number of subjects targeted was 22.4%. A total of 41.2% of the tobacco users enrolled had successfully quit at baseline, and the 7-day point prevalence of tobacco cessation at the follow-up at 12 months, via a telephone survey, was 34.4%. Factors positively associated with cessation at the 12-month follow-up were longer experience with tobacco abstinence and additional quitting attempts with or without NSCS enrollment, although every additional quit attempt with NSCS use had a better outcome. In addition, having a successful quit outcome with NSCS use at the baseline and having more satisfaction with the service of professional counseling or incentives than others provided by NSCS, increased cessation at follow-up after adjustment of other factors considered. CONCLUSIONS In addition to multiple quitting attempts, longer experience with tobacco abstinence, and additional enrollment in NSCS, the service experience, and satisfaction with the content that NSCS offered, might improve the lasting success of abstinence. These results might be considered to improve the contents and protocols of the NSCS for better outcomes.