Individual and Combined Effects of Multiple High-risk Triggers on Postcessation Smoking Urge and Lapse

Introduction: Negative affect, alcohol consumption, and presence of others smoking have consistently been implicated as risk factors for smoking lapse and relapse. What is not known, however, is how these factors work together to affect smoking outcomes. This paper uses ecological momentary assessment (EMA) collected during the first 7 days of a smoking cessation attempt to test the individual and combined effects of high-risk triggers on smoking urge and lapse.

Methods: Participants were 300 female smokers who enrolled in a study that tested an individually tailored smoking cessation treatment. Participants completed EMA, which recorded negative affect, alcohol consumption, presence of others smoking, smoking urge, and smoking lapse, for 7 days starting on their quit date.

Results: Alcohol consumption, presence of others smoking, and negative affect were, independently and in combination, associated with increase in smoking urge and lapse. The results also found that the relationship between presence of others smoking and lapse and the relationship between negative affect and lapse were moderated by smoking urge.

Conclusions: The current study found significant individual effects of alcohol consumption, presence of other smoking, and negative affect on smoking urge and lapse. Combing the triggers increased smoking urge and the risk for lapse to varying degrees, and the presence of all 3 triggers resulted in the highest urge and lapse risk.