• Eva A M van Eerd, Carolien R van Rossem, Mark G Spigt, Geertjan Wesseling, Onno C P van Schayck, and Daniel Kotz.
• Department of Family Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Centre, CAPHRI School for Public Health and Primary Care, Maastricht, The Netherlands.
• Respiration. 2015 Jan 1; 90 (3): 211-9.

BackgroundThe prevalence of tobacco smoking in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is high. It is assumed that this group of smokers has more difficulties quitting than smokers without COPD. In order to increase the effectiveness of smoking cessation treatments in smokers with COPD it is important to identify any smoking-related factors which are specific to this group of smokers.ObjectiveTo compare smokers with COPD with smokers without COPD regarding factors associated with tobacco smoking and quitting.MethodsWe conducted a questionnaire survey in all smoking patients with a recorded diagnosis of COPD from a large Dutch primary health care network. We compared this group with twice as many age-, sex- and health care centre-matched smokers without COPD.ResultsRespondents were 107 smokers with COPD and 86 smokers without COPD. The number of attempts to quit was similar in both groups but more smokers with COPD had ever used pharmacological, behavioural and alternative smoking cessation treatments. Furthermore, smokers with COPD more often received triggers to quit from their environment and from their general practitioner, and they were more concerned about, and aware of, the health risks of smoking. Importantly, smokers with COPD reported higher levels of depression and cigarette dependence and a lower self-efficacy to refrain from smoking than smokers without COPD.ConclusionSmokers with COPD differ from smokers without COPD on several factors which are associated with tobacco smoking and quitting. Taking into account these differences may help to increase the effectiveness of smoking cessation treatments for the specific group of smokers with COPD.© 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

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