Smoking cessation and quality of life: changes in life satisfaction over 3 years following a quit attempt

Abstract

Background: There has been limited research addressing changes in subjective well-being as a result of quitting smoking.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use longitudinal data to determine the relation between smoking cessation and subjective measures of well-being, including global quality of life (QOL), health-related QOL (HR-QOL), affect, relationship satisfaction, and stressor occurrence.

Methods: As part of a randomized, placebo-controlled smoking cessation trial, 1,504 participants (58.2% women, 83.9% white) completed assessments and had their smoking status biochemically confirmed at baseline and years 1 and 3 post-quit.

Results: Compared with continuing smokers, quitters showed improved global QOL, HR-QOL, and affect at years 1 and 3 and fewer stressors by year 3. Smoking status did not influence marital relationship satisfaction.

Conclusions: Successful quitters, in contrast to continuing smokers, reported improved subjective well-being, which could be used to motivate quit attempts by individuals with concerns about what life will be like without cigarettes.

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest statement: Drs. Piper, Kenford and Baker have no potential conflicts of interest to disclose. Over the last three years, Michael C. Fiore served as an investigator on research studies at the University of Wisconsin that were funded in part by Nabi Biopharmaceuticals and GlaxoSmithKline. From 1997 to 2010, Dr. Fiore held a University of Wisconsin (UW) named Chair, made possible by a gift to UW from GlaxoWellcome.