Background: Patients with Crohn's disease (CD) who smoke have a more complicated disease course.
Aims: Our primary objective was to assess smoking related variables that were associated with smoking cessation versus continued smoking in patients with CD.
Methods: A multi-center study identified CD patients who were seen at the University of Chicago and University of Calgary IBD clinics. Patients were categorized into three subgroups: lifetime non-smokers, current smokers, or ex-smokers. Participants completed questionnaires assessing their cigarette smoking behavior. Current smokers were prospectively followed for 6 months to assess smoking status and attempts to quit. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors associated with smoking cessation.
Results: Three hundred patients were enrolled with 148 identifying themselves as lifetime non-smokers, 70 as current smokers, and 82 as ex-smokers. Patients who reported their first cigarette within 5 min of waking were more likely to be current smokers (OR = 21; 95% CI 3.94-107.3) as compared to patients who waited greater than 60 min. Current smokers were more likely to have one or more household members who smoked compared to ex-smokers (P < 0.05). Nearly half (49%) of the current smokers were in the precontemplation stage of change (i.e. no intention to quit smoking). At the 6-month follow-up, only 11% reported they quit smoking.
Conclusions: Patients who report a short time to first cigarette in the morning may have more difficulty in smoking cessation. Current smokers were more likely to have another smoker in the household compared to ex-smokers. Current smokers had low levels of motivation to quit smoking and consequently with no intervention, very few quit 6 months after the baseline assessment.