Best Predictors of a Person's Long-Term Success with Quitting Tobacco

Best Predictors of a Person’s Long-Term Success with Quitting Tobacco by Nhu-Tam Villar MA, Seattle University, 2002 BA, University of Washington, 1998 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Health Psychology Walden University January 2015 Abstract Smoking relapse rates among tobacco users remain high after quit attempts with or without interventions. Though researchers have examined stress-related factors contributing to high relapse rate, little empirical research has concentrated on variables predicting long-term quit maintenance. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictability of stress management tools, including exercise motivation, eating behaviors, social support, and self-compassion, as well as the significant combined variance of these variables, in a person’s long-term maintenance with tobacco use abstinence. Bandura’s social cognitive theory was used to highlight the factors contributing to health behavior such as tobacco use. This study involved a survey research method gathering quantitative data from former and current tobacco users (n = 90) recruited from a Social Psychology Network online sampling service. Multiple regression analysis was the statistical method used to determine the significance of the predictor variables from the collected data with an alpha level set at . 05. According to study findings, self-compassion was the only variable that accounted for the variance in the length of the longest quit attempt. This study contributes to positive social change as it offers findings that may be valuable to the health care providers more effective treatment strategies in treating tobacco users, leading to lowered health care costs. Increased likelihood of long-term tobacco cessation may result from identification and application of quit smoking tools through treatment interventions.Smoking relapse rates among tobacco users remain high after quit attempts with or without interventions. Though researchers have examined stress-related factors contributing to high relapse rate, little empirical research has concentrated on variables predicting long-term quit maintenance. The purpose of this study was to determine the predictability of stress management tools, including exercise motivation, eating behaviors, social support, and self-compassion, as well as the significant combined variance of these variables, in a person’s long-term maintenance with tobacco use abstinence. Bandura’s social cognitive theory was used to highlight the factors contributing to health behavior such as tobacco use. This study involved a survey research method gathering quantitative data from former and current tobacco users (n = 90) recruited from a Social Psychology Network online sampling service. Multiple regression analysis was the statistical method used to determine the significance of the predictor variables from the collected data with an alpha level set at . 05. According to study findings, self-compassion was the only variable that accounted for the variance in the length of the longest quit attempt. This study contributes to positive social change as it offers findings that may be valuable to the health care providers more effective treatment strategies in treating tobacco users, leading to lowered health care costs. Increased likelihood of long-term tobacco cessation may result from identification and application of quit smoking tools through treatment interventions. Best Predictors of a Person’s Long-Term Success with Quitting Tobacco by Nhu-Tam Villar MA, Seattle University, 2002 BA, University of Washington, 1998 Dissertation Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy Health Psychology Walden University January 2015 Dedication This study is dedicated to my husband Mark and son Maximus, who have been supportive of my years of study. They have been patient and understanding of the time I have spent completing my dissertation. They are my inspiration. Acknowledgments I would like to thank my chair, Dr. Diana Jeffery, who provided me with helpful feedback and guided me through the dissertation process. She was encouraging and patient with my progress, which motivated me to press on during some arduous times of the process. I am grateful for her guidance, support, and expertise. My committee member, Dr. Patricia Loun, also provided expert guidance at the critical stages of my study. She helped me see what could have been overlooked but important to consider. I thank her for the time she took to provide constructive feedback and incite mastery. I would like to remember another committee member, Dr. Mary Alm, who prepared me for the initial stages of my dissertation proposal. She provided me with not only the needed feedback but also perseverance as she continued to guide me until her last few weeks prior to losing her battle with cancer. While not members of my committee, my former supervisors Dr. Elizabeth Fildes and Marta Wilson provided me with one of the greatest opportunities to work with the population of tobacco users and inspired me to pursue higher education. I am also thankful for my colleague Wendy Dingee, who gave me the idea to research and include self-compassion as one of the variables in my study. Finally, my family has been the foundation for personal and professional growth throughout my academic career. I am grateful for my parents who have always believed in me.