Willingness to Quit and Associated Factors Among Tobacco Users Attending Outpatient Departments of a Tertiary Care Hospital in Delhi, India

BACKGROUND: Tobacco use has become a modern-day epidemic which significantly impacts health, socioeconomic status, and environmental sustainability. The readiness to quit or stop using tobacco is a crucial first step in changing one’s behavior. Hence, the current study sought to assess the prevalence of willingness to quit and associated factors among tobacco users. METHODS: This study was conducted on 425 tobacco users selected using multi-stage random sampling from the outpatient departments (OPDs) of a tertiary care hospital in Delhi, India. A pre-designed, interviewer-administered questionnaire was used to elicit information. Logistic regression was performed to assess the effect of independent factors on the willingness to quit. FINDINGS: The mean age of the study participants was 39.37 years (S.D.=±12.99). The majority of the participants were male (400, 94.1%), and 25 (6.9%) were female. Overall, the prevalence of willingness to quit in the current study was 70% among the study participants. The results of the multivariable analysis showed that those belonging to urban areas, tobacco users with a duration of≤10 years, and those who received advice from a doctor to quit had a significantly higher willingness to quit than their counterparts. However, age, gender, marital status, education, religion, age of initiation of tobacco use, and nicotine dependence were not found to have a statistically significant relationship with the willingness to quit tobacco products. CONCLUSION: Willingness to quit was high among the study participants. The data in this study suggested that belonging to urban areas, duration of tobacco use, and doctor’s advice to quit are important factors which need to be considered when framing future tobacco cessation programs.