Willingness to quit tobacco smoking and its correlates among Indian smokers – Findings from Global Adult Tobacco Survey India, 2009–2010

BACKGROUND: In the stages of change model for smoking cessation, “willingness to quit” forms the starting point. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and correlates of willingness to quit among smokers in India from Global Adult Tobacco Survey (GATS), 2009–2010. METHODS: Secondary data analysis of GATS, 2009–10, was done to find the correlates of willingness to quit among smokers. All the sociodemographic variables, smoking-related factors such as frequency, previous attempt to quit, and also effect of antitobacco messages delivered to various media were tested for association using multivariable analysis. RESULTS: Of 9627 current smokers analyzed, 50.9% [95% confidence interval (CI): 49.9–51.9] were willing to quit smoking. Multivariable analysis showed that younger age groups [prevalence ratio (PR): 1.31, 95% CI: 1.05–1.65], individuals who have their first smoke after 60 min of wakeup (PR: 1.19, 95% CI: 1.05–1.36), those living in a house with smoking restriction (PR: 1.29, 95% CI: 1.17–1.42), those who received advice to quit from doctor, those who attempted to quit in the past 12 months (PR: 1.28, 95% CI: 1.03–1.60), having knowledge about illness caused due to smoking, and those who have noticed antismoking messages in billboards/hoardings were willing to quit smoking compared to their counterparts (PR: 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04–1.23). CONCLUSION: Enforcing social restrictions like smoking restriction at house and also brief advice by doctors to quit smoking during any contact with the tobacco user could improve quit rate especially in young tobacco users and those who have attempted to quit before.