College of Health Sciences
HealthSci Professors Shed New Light on Nuances of Smoking Cessation
Health Sciences Faculty Examine Weight as a Potential Predictor of Smoking Cessation Success Among Community-Based Program Participants
Thursday, 07 May 2026 - Health Sciences faculty examined whether weight concerns predict smoking cessation among 392 adult smokers enrolled in a community-based cessation trial. Researchers found that neither smoking to control weight nor intolerance to weight gain predicted abstinence in men or women. Greater nicotine dependence lowered the odds of quitting, while older age improved them. Though the data predate widespread e-cigarette use, CDC surveillance confirms most adult smokers remain exclusive cigarette users, keeping these findings relevant to current public health efforts.
Many smokers cite fear of weight gain as a reason they hesitate to quit — but new research from the College of Health Sciences suggests that concern may not be the barrier it is often assumed to be.
Published in Health Behavior Research, the study examined whether weight concerns predicted smoking cessation among 392 adults enrolled in the Lifestyle Enhancement for Activity and Prevention (LEAP) randomized controlled trial. Participants, 62% of whom were women, smoked at least five cigarettes daily, were sedentary, and expressed a desire to quit. All received behavioral counseling and nicotine patch therapy.
Researchers evaluated two validated measures of weight concern — using smoking as a means of weight control and intolerance to post-cessation weight gain — as predictors of biochemically verified abstinence at 7 weeks, 6 months, and 12 months. Models were stratified by sex and adjusted for age, BMI, race, and nicotine dependence.
The results were clear: neither measure of weight concern predicted cessation success in men or women. Abstinence rates stood at 30% at 7 weeks, dropping to 21% at 6 months and recovering slightly to 23% at 12 months.
The stronger predictors proved to be nicotine dependence and age. Participants with greater nicotine dependence showed lower odds of successfully quitting, while older participants showed higher odds of abstinence — findings consistent with existing research on the role of physiological dependence and life stage in cessation outcomes.
The authors note that while the data predate widespread e-cigarette use, current CDC surveillance confirms that most adult cigarette smokers remain exclusive users, keeping the findings relevant for today's public health efforts.
From a behavioral health standpoint, the study challenges the assumption — rooted in the Health Belief Model — that weight concern is a significant perceived barrier to quitting among treatment-seeking smokers. The authors suggest that practitioners may be better served by prioritizing nicotine dependence management and relapse prevention rather than routinely addressing weight-related anxieties, unless raised directly by the patient.