Motives for smoking and their correlates in clients attending Stop Smoking treatment services
Abstract
This study investigated smokers' ratings of putative smoking motives and how these relate to smoking patterns, withdrawal symptoms, and short-term abstinence in clients attending smokers' clinics. Data were collected from 2,727 clients from two London Stop Smoking Services that offered behavioral support combined with pharmacotherapy. On a scale of 1 to 5, stress relief (M = 3.9), boredom relief (3.7), and enjoyment (3.6) were rated highest. Uses as an aid to concentration (2.9), for relief of withdrawal discomfort (2.8), and as an aid to socialization (2.8) received moderate ratings. Weight control was rated low (2.0). These ratings were found to be largely independent of each other. Ratings of enjoyment, boredom relief, improvement in concentration, and relief of withdrawal discomfort were positively correlated with daily cigarette consumption (p<.001). Ratings of smoking for withdrawal relief, enjoyment, improvement in concentration, stress relief, and boredom relief were positively correlated with nicotine dependence as measured by the Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (p<.001). Strength of urges to smoke and time spent with urges to smoke in the first week of abstinence were positively correlated with smoking for withdrawal relief, to stay alert, to improve concentration, and with enjoyment of smoking (p<.01). Relapse to smoking within 4 weeks was not associated with ratings of any of the smoking motives, including enjoyment. Although correlated with a measure of d…
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Claims the paper makes
Claims other papers make about this one
Each is checked against this paper’s own text: does it say what the citing paper says it does?
Regular smokers report smoking cigarettes to alleviate emotional problems and feelings of depression and anxiety, to stabilise mood, and for relaxation as well as relieving stress.
“Both quantitative and qualitative analyses indicate that regular smokers report smoking cigarettes to alleviate emotional problems and feelings of depression and anxiety, to stabilise mood, and for relaxation as well as relieving stress.”
From Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis (2014) · cites this paper as [7]
Cites
Outcome criteria in smoking cessation trials: proposal for a common standard
West, R., Hajek, P., Stead, L., & Stapleton, J. (2005) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2004.00995.x · Cited by 1,285 · see citing works
Self-citationWest, R., & Brown, J. (2013) · doi:10.1002/9781118484890 · Cited by 816 · see citing works
Self-citationThe English smoking treatment services: one‐year outcomes
Ferguson, J., Bauld, L., Chesterman, J., & Judge, K. (2005) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2005.01028.x · Cited by 347 · see citing works
McEwen, A., West, R., & McRobbie, H. (2006) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2005.12.014 · Cited by 67 · see citing works
Self-citationDefining and Assessing Nicotine Dependence in Humans
West, R. (2006) · Novartis Foundation Symposia · doi:10.1002/9780470029237.ch4 · Cited by 36 · see citing works
Self-citation
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
Change in mental health after smoking cessation: systematic review and meta-analysis
Taylor, G., McNeill, A., Girling, A., Farley, A., Lindson-Hawley, N., & Aveyard, P. (2014) · BMJ · doi:10.1136/bmj.g1151 · Cited by 1,039 · see citing works
Joint AAD-NPF guidelines of care for the management and treatment of psoriasis with biologics
Menter, A., Strober, B. E., Kaplan, D. H., Kivelevitch, D. N., Prater, E. F., Stoff, B. K., Armstrong, A. W., Connor, C. J., Cordoro, K. M., Davis, D. M. R., et al. (2019) · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology · doi:10.1016/j.jaad.2018.11.057 · Cited by 972 · see citing works
West, R., & Brown, J. (2013) · Wiley eBooks · doi:10.1002/9781118484890.ch9 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
Self-citationThe endocrine effects of nicotine and cigarette smoke
Tweed, J. O., Hsia, S. H., Lutfy, K., & Friedman, T. C. (2012) · Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism · doi:10.1016/j.tem.2012.03.006 · Cited by 231 · see citing works
“Smokers cite stress-relief as one of the major reasons for smoking [20].”
BackgroundThe electronic-cigarette: Effects on desire to smoke, withdrawal symptoms and cognition
Dawkins, L., Turner, J. J., Hasna, S., & Soar, K. (2012) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.03.004 · Cited by 175 · see citing works
Tobacco addiction and the dysregulation of brain stress systems
Bruijnzeel, A. W. (2012) · Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews · doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2012.02.015 · Cited by 172 · see citing works
Self-perceived smoking motives and their correlates in a general population sample
Fidler, J. A., & West, R. (2009) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntp120 · Cited by 194 · see citing works
Self-citationStress is a principal factor that promotes tobacco use in females
Torres, O. V., & O'Dell, L. E. (2016) · Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology and Biological Psychiatry · doi:10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.04.005 · Cited by 164 · see citing works
“Self-report studies have indicated that themain reason that people use tobacco is to reduce anxiety and induce a state of relaxation (Aronson et al., 2008; Fidler andWest, 2009; McEwen et al., 2008).”
West, R. (2009) · COPD: Journal of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease · doi:10.1080/15412550903049181 · Cited by 145 · see citing works
“In particular, they believe that it helps to control stress (23).”
BackgroundSelf-citationRichards, J. M., Stipelman, B. A., Bornovalova, M. A., Daughters, S. B., Sinha, R., & Lejuez, C. W. (2011) · Biological Psychology · doi:10.1016/j.biopsycho.2011.06.009 · Cited by 132 · see citing works
Buczkowski, K., Marcinowicz, L., Czachowski, S., & Piszczek, E. (2014) · Patient Preference and Adherence · doi:10.2147/ppa.s67767 · Cited by 123 · see citing works
“48 This also resurfaced in our study: the participants pointed to stress, pleasure from smoking, and a smoking environment as the conditions that led them to relapse.”
Smit, E. S., de Vries, H., & Hoving, C. (2012) · Journal of Medical Internet Research · doi:10.2196/jmir.1812 · Cited by 97 · see citing works
“As addiction has been shown to be the most important predictor of a quit attempt’s success [45,46], it may be possible to obtain higher success rates when Web-based smoking cessation interventions are combined with smoking cessation medication aimed at reducing physical withdrawal symptoms.”
BackgroundStress modulates illness-course of substance use disorders: a translational review
Lijffijt, M., Hu, K., & Swann, A. C. (2014) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2014.00083 · Cited by 103 · see citing works
“Research in smokers suggests motivation to quit could be diminished in some users due to an inability to regulate stress or emotional distress without the help of mind-altering substances (155, 191, 192).”
BackgroundThe effect of stopping smoking on perceived stress levels
Hajek, P., Taylor, T., & McRobbie, H. (2010) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.02979.x · Cited by 99 · see citing works
“Dependent smokers cite stress relief as one of the major reasons for smoking [1].”
BackgroundSelf-citationCOVID-19, smoking and inequalities: a study of 53 002 adults in the UK
Jackson, S. E., Brown, J., Shahab, L., Steptoe, A., & Fancourt, D. E. (2020) · Tobacco Control · doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2020-055933 · Cited by 125 · see citing works
The role of desire, duty and intention in predicting attempts to quit smoking
Smit, E. S., Fidler, J. A., & West, R. (2010) · Addiction · doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2010.03317.x · Cited by 92 · see citing works
Self-citationThe many faces of tobacco use among women
Jassem, E. (2014) · Medical Science Monitor · doi:10.12659/msm.889796 · Cited by 87 · see citing works
Tombor, I., Shahab, L., Brown, J., & West, R. (2013) · Drug and Alcohol Dependence · doi:10.1016/j.drugalcdep.2013.09.001 · Cited by 91 · see citing works
Self-citationNegative mood effects on craving to smoke in women versus men
Perkins, K. A., Karelitz, J. L., Giedgowd, G. E., & Conklin, C. A. (2012) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.06.002 · Cited by 78 · see citing works
Emerging Trends in Health and Productivity Management
Goetzel, R. Z., Ozminkowski, R. J., Pelletier, K. R., Metz, R. D., & Chapman, L. S. (2007) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.4278/0890-1171-22.1.tahp-1 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
Lorcaserin for Smoking Cessation and Associated Weight Gain: A Randomized 12-Week Clinical Trial
Shanahan, W. R., Rose, J. E., Glicklich, A., Stubbe, S., & Sanchez‐Kam, M. (2016) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntw301 · Cited by 51 · see citing works
Differences between intermittent and light daily smokers in a population of U.S. military recruits
Cooper, T. V., Taylor, T., Murray, A., DeBon, M. W., Weg, M. W. V., Klesges, R. C., & Talcott, G. W. (2010) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntq025 · Cited by 44 · see citing works
Point process analyses of variations in smoking rate by setting, mood, gender, and dependence.
Shiffman, S. M., & Rathbun, S. L. (2011) · Psychology of Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1037/a0022178 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Paine, N. J., Bacon, S., Bourbeau, J., Tan, W. C., Lavoie, K., Aaron, S. D., Chapman, K. R., FitzGerald, J. M., Hernandez, P., Marciniuk, D. D., et al. (2018) · Respiratory Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.rmed.2018.11.006 · Cited by 32 · see citing works
Dawson, A. P., Cargo, M., Stewart, H., Chong, A., & Daniel, M. (2012) · BMC Health Services Research · doi:10.1186/1472-6963-12-102 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Relief of boredom is a key smoking motive in the general population, and is positively correlated with both daily cigarette consumption and nicotine dependence [31].”
BackgroundGender and Stimulus Control of Smoking Behavior
Ferguson, S. G., Frandsen, M., Dunbar, M. S., & Shiffman, S. S. (2015) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntu195 · Cited by 31 · see citing works
Smoking and Smoking Increase in Caregivers of Alzheimer’s Patients
García, F. I. S., Zuber, J. K., Graney, M. J., Nichols, L. O., Martindale-Adams, J. L., & Andrasik, F. (2013) · The Gerontologist · doi:10.1093/geront/gnt149 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
Leas, E. C., Zablocki, R., Edland, S. D., & Al‐Delaimy, W. K. (2014) · Tobacco Control · doi:10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2013-051400 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
A review of the effects of nicotine on social functioning.
Martin, L. M., & Sayette, M. A. (2018) · Experimental and Clinical Psychopharmacology · doi:10.1037/pha0000208 · Cited by 37 · see citing works
Predictors of 3-Month Abstinence in Smokers Attending Stop-Smoking Clinics in Malaysia
Wee, L. H., West, R., Bulgiba, A. M., & Shahab, L. (2010) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntq221 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
Self-citationActive smoking and COPD phenotype: distribution and impact on prognostic factors
Riesco, J. A., Navarrete, B. A., Trigueros, J. A., Campuzano, A., Gutierrez, M. J. P., & Ferrer, J. L. L. (2017) · International Journal of COPD · doi:10.2147/copd.s135344 · Cited by 29 · see citing works
“The impact of smoking on patients’ quality of life has also been a topic of discussion, with previous reports indicating a lower mental(13,14) and physical(16) functional status in current smokers and an improvement of health-related quality of life after smoking cessation,(15,17) although other studies have shown the…”
A Study of Motives for Tobacco and Alcohol Use Among High School Students in Hungary
Piko, B. F., Varga, S., & Wills, T. A. (2015) · Journal of Community Health · doi:10.1007/s10900-015-9993-4 · Cited by 26 · see citing works
“Using nicotine as a chemical stress relief and coping is well-known [18, 19].”
BackgroundDenlinger-Apte, R. L., Suerken, C. K., Ross, J. C., Reboussin, B., Spangler, J., Wagoner, K. G., & Sutfin, E. (2022) · Preventive Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2022.106992 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
“…could increase during stay-at-home orders due to several factors such as increased stress (McKee et al., 2011; Slopen et al., 2013), decreased exposure to indoor tobacco use restrictions (i.e., smoke-free workplaces) or simply boredom (McEwen et al., 2008) due to being at home for extended periods.”
Impact of Stress on Human Body: A Review
Zafar, M. S., Nauman, M., Nauman, H., Nauman, S., Kabir, A., Shahid, Z., Fatima, A., & Batool, M. (2021) · European Journal of Medical and Health Sciences · doi:10.24018/ejmed.2021.3.3.821 · Cited by 28 · see citing works
“Persistent anxiety can encourage and exasperate pathophysiology via the similar methods that are liberated [18].”
BackgroundBermúdez, V., Olivar, L. C., Torres, W., Navarro, C., González, R., Díaz, C. I. E., Morocho, A., Mindiola, A., Chacín, M., Arias, V., et al. (2019) · F1000Research · doi:10.12688/f1000research.14571.3 · Cited by 21 · see citing works
MR and GR functional SNPs may modulate tobacco smoking susceptibility
Rovaris, D. L., Mota, N. R., de Azeredo, L. A., Cupertino, R. B., Bertuzzi, G. P., Polina, E. R., Contini, V., Kortmann, G. L., Vitola, E. S., Grevet, E. H., et al. (2013) · Journal of Neural Transmission · doi:10.1007/s00702-013-1012-2 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
The self-medication hypothesis: Evidence from terrorism and cigarette accessibility
Pesko, M. F., & Baum, C. F. (2016) · Economics & Human Biology · doi:10.1016/j.ehb.2016.03.007 · Cited by 25 · see citing works
“Smokers have cited stress reduction as their primary motive for smoking (McEwen et al., 2008).”
InfluentialMotivation for Substance Use: Why Do People Use Alcohol, Tobacco and Marijuana?
Tkalić, R. G., Sučić, I., & Dević, I. (2013) · Drustvena istrazivanja · doi:10.5559/di.22.4.03 · Cited by 23 · see citing works
“…research also showed that social motives were significant determinants of the current smoking status among adolescents (Amin, Amr, & Zaza, 2011; McEwen et al., 2008), and also most adolescents reported drinking for social and sometimes for enhancement motives (Kuntsche et al., 2005), while…”
BackgroundResultDoes High Tobacco Consumption Cause Psychological Distress? A Mendelian Randomization Study
Skov-Ettrup, L. S., Nordestgaard, B. G., Petersen, C. B., & Tolstrup, J. S. (2016) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntw186 · Cited by 27 · see citing works
Tseng, H.-H., Lee, J., Geng, J., & Chen, S. (2023) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2023.1070827 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“Smokingmay be a way to alleviate the symptoms of depression or keep individuals in a vulnerable state to environmental stress by regulating the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis (38, 39).”
BackgroundSuzuki, N., Nakanishi, K., Yoneda, M., Hirofuji, T., & Hanioka, T. (2016) · Tobacco Induced Diseases · doi:10.1186/s12971-016-0085-8 · Cited by 22 · see citing works
“Smokers generally indicate that stress relief and relaxation are their main reasons for smoking [1, 2].”
BackgroundSocial stress, obesity, and depression among women: clarifying the role of physical activity
Lincoln, K. D. (2017) · Ethnicity and Health · doi:10.1080/13557858.2017.1346190 · Cited by 24 · see citing works
“Studies show that high levels of perceived stress is associated with smoking (McEwen, West, and McRobbie 2008), alcohol abuse (Tavolacci et al. 2013), and less ETHNICITY & HEALTH 663 frequent physical activity (Stults-Kolehmainen and Rajita 2014), which increase the risk for conditions such as…”
BackgroundVaginal microbiota of American Indian women and associations with measures of psychosocial stress
Borgogna, J.-L. C., Anastario, M. P., Firemoon, P., Rink, E., Ricker, A., Ravel, J., Brotman, R. M., & Yeoman, C. J. (2021) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0260813 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“Smoking itself has been shown to have a dose-dependent association with both CST-IV and BV [109] and among adolescent and reproductive-age women, ‘coping with stress’ and ‘stress relief’ are the most commonly cited motives for smoking [110–113].”
Makara, G. B., Varga, J. M., Barna, I., Pintér, O., Klausz, B., & Zelena, D. (2012) · Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology · doi:10.1007/s10571-012-9842-2 · Cited by 20 · see citing works
“The hypothalamic component consists of corticotropin-releasing hormone and arginine vasopressin, with a questionable contribution of the latter.”
BackgroundPedersen, E. R., Tucker, J. S., Davis, J. P., Dunbar, M. S., Seelam, R., Rodriguez, A., & D’Amico, E. J. (2020) · Psychology of Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1037/adb0000638 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Gross, G. M., Bastian, L. A., Smith, N. B., Harpaz‐Rotem, I., & Hoff, R. A. (2020) · Journal of Women s Health · doi:10.1089/jwh.2019.8082 · Cited by 18 · see citing works
“43 In general, individuals with PTSD who smoke hold higher expectations that smoking will re-lieve negative affect.”
Dingle, G. A., & Carter, N. A. (2017) · Musicae Scientiae · doi:10.1177/1029864916682822 · Cited by 34 · see citing works
Jesse, M. T., Ryan, M. E., Eshelman, A. K., Ghanem, T., Williams, A. M., Miller-Matero, L. R., & Yaremchuk, K. (2014) · The Laryngoscope · doi:10.1002/lary.25059 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
Cigarette Smoking and Dating App Use: Findings from a Survey in a Sample of Adults in Italy
Flesia, L., Fietta, V., Foresta, C., & Monaro, M. (2021) · European Journal of Investigation in Health Psychology and Education · doi:10.3390/ejihpe11020040 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
“Smokers cite stress reduction as their primary motive for smoking [34].”
BackgroundTaylor, G. M. J., Girling, A., McNeill, A., & Aveyard, P. (2015) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-008774 · Cited by 15 · see citing works
Boudrez, H., & de Bacquer, D. (2012) · Journal of Evaluation In Clinical Practice · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2753.2011.01676.x · Cited by 15
COVID-19, smoking, and inequalities: a cross-sectional survey of adults in the UK
Jackson, S., Brown, J., Shahab, L., Steptoe, A., & Fancourt, D. (2020) · medRxiv · doi:10.1101/2020.04.30.20086074 · Cited by 14
“in an attempt to cope with higher than usual levels of stress (21–23) or to relieve boredom (23,24).”
BackgroundBoredom susceptibility as predictor of smoking cessation outcomes: Sex differences
Martínez-Vispo, C., Senra, C., López‐Durán, A., del Río, E. F., & Becoña, E. (2019) · Personality and Individual Differences · doi:10.1016/j.paid.2019.03.026 · Cited by 16 · see citing works
Does deterioration in mental health after smoking cessation predict relapse to smoking?
Taylor, G. M. J., McNeill, A. D., & Aveyard, P. N. (2015) · BMC Public Health · doi:10.1186/s12889-015-2473-z · Cited by 14 · see citing works
“This is surprising, because many smokers perceive that smoking benefits their mental health [2–7].”
BackgroundRobson, D., Cole, F., Jalasi, S., Boojharut, B., Smith, S. M. R., Thompson, S., Jones, M., & Haddad, M. (2012) · Journal of Clinical Nursing · doi:10.1111/j.1365-2702.2012.04222.x · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“Its test–retest reliability has been found to be generally high (McEwen et al. 2008) and smoking motives elicited using the questionnaire have been found to be correlated with a number of sociodemographic”
Kim, H., & Lee, K.-S. (2021) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph18063023 · Cited by 13 · see citing works
“Existing studies indicate that women smokers have a stronger tendency to smoke to manage their stress compared to male smokers [43].”
BackgroundRiley, H., Headley, S., Winter, C. R., Mazur, S. M., Gaalema, D. E., Goff, S. L., Lindenauer, P. K., & Pack, Q. R. (2017) · Journal of Cardiopulmonary Rehabilitation and Prevention · doi:10.1097/hcr.0000000000000288 · Cited by 14 · see citing works
What is behind the lifestyle risk factors for head and neck cancer?
Iftikhar, A., Islam, M. R., Shepherd, S. D., Jones, S., & Ellis, I. (2022) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.960638 · Cited by 19 · see citing works
“A number of studies in contemporary literature have reported anxiety, emotional problems, and stress as motives for individuals to regularly smoke cigarettes (Lerman et al., 1996; Lawn et al., 2002; Thompson et al., 2003; Kerr et al., 2006; McEwen et al., 2008; Fidler and West, 2009; Clancy et al., 2013).”
BackgroundNicotine preloading for smoking cessation: the Preloading RCT
Aveyard, P. N., Lindson, N., Tearne, S., Adams, R. L., Ahmed, K., Alekna, R., Banting, M., Healy, M., Khan, S. S. F., Rai, G., et al. (2018) · Health Technology Assessment · doi:10.3310/hta22410 · Cited by 12 · see citing works
“However, it takes the same perspective as people who are stopping smoking: that the main reason to stop smoking is to avoid future smoking-related disease.(99) As such, it better represents the views of possible service users of NHS Stop Smoking Services and of the community at large.”
BackgroundSelf-citationCaponnetto, P., Maglia, M. G., Cannella, M. C., Inguscio, L., Buonocore, M., Scoglio, C., Polosa, R., & Vinci, V. (2017) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00127 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“Moreover, several studies support the hypothesis that classic and electronic cigarette aids cognitive performances (McEwen et al., 2008; Heishman et al., 2010; Dawkins et al., 2012, 2013b).”
BackgroundWiium, N., & Aarø, L. E. (2010) · Scandinavian Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1111/j.1467-9450.2010.00823.x · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Lee, S. H., Yi, Y. H., Lee, Y. I., Lee, H. Y., & Lim, K.-M. (2022) · Medicine · doi:10.1097/md.0000000000029595 · Cited by 10 · see citing works
“[35] However, in a study to evaluate smokers’ smoking motives, participants who responded that they used tobacco for stress management showed significantly higher nicotine dependence.[36] A study of smokers who believed that smoking reduced their stress levels reported a lower perception of stress in these subjects af…”
ResultQuatremère, G., Guignard, R., Andler, R., Sempé, S., Houzelle, N., & Nguyen‐Thanh, V. (2022) · International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health · doi:10.3390/ijerph192214808 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Kuo, C., Lin, C., Chen, C., Wang, R.-H., Chou, C.-Y., Cheng, H., Wu, J., Chen, C., Shieh, C., & Yu, T. (2022) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2022.872220 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
“For example, most men smoke for the pleasure and enjoyment of smoking, while women smoke to relieve stress and control their body weight (BW) (4, 5).”
BackgroundSchröder, B., & Mühlberger, A. (2023) · Frontiers in Psychology · doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1129422 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Sharma, R., Puljević, C., Morphett, K., Meurk, C., & GARTNER, C. E. (2021) · Health Education & Behavior · doi:10.1177/10901981211034738 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
“, 2013), and/or a belief or subjective experience that smoking relieves symptoms of MI (McEwen et al., 2008).”
BackgroundInfluentialVocal Quality After a Performance in Actors Compared to Dancers
Leyns, C., Daelman, J., Meerschman, I., Claeys, S., Lierde, K. M. V., & D’haeseleer, E. (2020) · Journal of Voice · doi:10.1016/j.jvoice.2020.04.023 · Cited by 7 · see citing works
A Cross-Sectional Study of Happiness and Smoking Cessation Among Parents
Drehmer, J. E., Walters, B. H., Ossip, D. J., Nabi-Burza, E., & Winickoff, J. P. (2015) · The Journal of Smoking Cessation · doi:10.1017/jsc.2015.6 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
Reasons for smoking among tri-ethnic daily and nondaily smokers.
Pulvers, K. M., Scheuermann, T., Emami, A. S., Basora, B., Luo, X.-H., Khariwala, S. S., & Ahluwalia, J. (2014) · Nicotine & Tobacco Research · doi:10.1093/ntr/ntu108 · Cited by 7
Dynamic models of stress-smoking responses based on high-frequency sensor data
Hojjatinia, S., Daly, E., Hnat, T. W., Hossain, S. M., Kumar, S., Lagoa, C. M., Nahum-Shani, I. B., Samiei, S. A., Spring, B. J., & Conroy, D. E. (2021) · npj Digital Medicine · doi:10.1038/s41746-021-00532-2 · Cited by 9 · see citing works
E-cigarette use and associated factors among smokers with severe mental illness.
Peckham, E., Mishu, M., Fairhurst, C., Robson, D., Bradshaw, T., Arundel, C., Bailey, D., Heron, P., Ker, S., & Gilbody, S. (2020) · Addictive Behaviours · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2020.106456 · Cited by 6 · see citing works
Steinberg, M. L., Rosen, R. L., Ganz, O., Wackowski, O. A., Jeong, M., & Delnevo, C. D. (2023) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107903 · Cited by 11 · see citing works
Fairman, R. T., Weaver, S. R., Nyman, A. L., Popova, L., Massey, Z. B., Reynolds, R. M., & Spears, C. A. (2022) · Preventive Medicine Reports · doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2022.101835 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“National Cancer Institute, 2017) Stress is a common trigger for smoking (Perkins and Grobe, 1992; McEwen et al., 2008) and barrier to quitting, particularly among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults.”
Does smoking reduction worsen mental health? A comparison of two observational approaches
Taylor, G. M. J., Taylor, A. E., Munafo, M. R., McNeill, A. D., & Aveyard, P. N. (2015) · BMJ Open · doi:10.1136/bmjopen-2015-007812 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Collins, S. E., Eck, S., Torchalla, I., Schröter, M., & Batra, A. (2012) · Addictive Behaviors · doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2012.08.008 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Wee, L. H., Shahab, L., Bulgiba, A. M., & West, R. (2011) · The Journal of Smoking Cessation · doi:10.1375/jsc.6.1.37 · Cited by 8 · see citing works
Self-citationBite the Stress Away? Nail Biting and Smoking Predict Maladaptive Stress Coping Strategies
Siegel, M., Adlmann, E.-M., Gittler, G., & Pietschnig, J. (2019) · Journal of Individual Differences · doi:10.1027/1614-0001/a000303 · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Liu, Z., Xiao, Y., Ye, Y., Li, Y., He, Z., Peng, N., & Zhou, X. (2025) · Journal of Affective Disorders · doi:10.1016/j.jad.2025.03.200 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
Avishai, A., Ribisl, K. M., & Sheeran, P. (2023) · Social Science & Medicine · doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2023.115939 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Steinberg, M. L., Rosen, R., Ganz, O., Wackowski, O. A., Jeong, M., & Delnevo, C. D. (2023) · medRxiv · doi:10.1101/2023.02.17.23286103 · Cited by 5 · see citing works
“Specifically, people who smoke cigarettes generally believe that smoking can reduce negative moods,[7,8] and one’s beliefs about the mood-enhancing effects of smoking not only influence decisions about making quit attempts,[9] but also predict successful quitting.”
Coexisting Substance Use Disorder and Chronic Pain During COVID-19
Compton, P. A., & Marie, B. S. (2021) · Pain Management Nursing · doi:10.1016/j.pmn.2021.08.011 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
Beard, E., Aveyard, P. N., McNeill, A. D., Michie, S., Fidler, J. A., Brown, J., & West, R. (2012) · Psychology and Health · doi:10.1080/08870446.2012.685739 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
“The finding of a positive association between attempts to quit smoking and wanting to quit smoking, and a negative association between attempts to quit smoking and enjoyment of smoking is in line with previous research on smokers attempting smoking cessation (Fidler & West, 2009, 2011; Hagimoto et al., 2009; McEwen et…”
ResultSelf-citationZhao, Y., Li, Y., Shu, Y., Wang, X., Wang, W., & Yang, L. (2025) · Frontiers in Psychiatry · doi:10.3389/fpsyt.2025.1642341 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Motives of Tobacco Use Among Young Adults in the United States Air Force
Pebley, K., Pilehvari, A., Krukowski, R., Morris, J. D., & Little, M. (2023) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/08901171231156527 · Cited by 3 · see citing works
[What motivates smoking and alcohol drinking of young people? A behavioural epidemiologic study].
Piko, B., & Varga, S. (2014) · Orvosi Hetilap · doi:10.1556/oh.2014.29805 · Cited by 3
“Ezt korábbi vizsgálatok is megerősítik [20, 21, 22, 23, 24].”
Musich, S. A., Chapman, L. S., & Ozminkowski, R. J. (2009) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.4278/ajhp.24.1.tahp · Cited by 4 · see citing works
Baik, D., Centi, S. M., & Schmiege, S. J. (2025) · Western Journal of Nursing Research · doi:10.1177/01939459241311501 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
Rizvi, L., Ashraf, S., Ahmed, M., Khalid, K., Latif, A., Javed, M., & Irfan, I. (2024) · American Journal of Health Education · doi:10.1080/19325037.2024.2396583 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“Moderately important motives included smoking for socialization, and feeling uncom-fortable if not smoking (McEwen et al., 2008).”
Nagawa, C. S., Rigotti, N. A., Chang, Y., Levy, D. E., Streck, J. M., Ylioja, T. E., Lee, S. S., & Tindle, H. A. (2024) · Journal of Addiction Medicine · doi:10.1097/adm.0000000000001358 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“This study used data collected from the Helping Hand 4 (HH4) trial.”
Ruiz, R. A., Lehavot, K., Heffner, J., Kava, C., & Ornelas, I. J. (2023) · American Journal of Health Promotion · doi:10.1177/08901171231197147 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“36,48 Future research should consider examining stress and other motives from the literature (e.g., for enjoyment, for weight management, to aid concentration or to combat pain) among women Veterans as a function of sexual orientation.”
BackgroundWorkplace Smoking Cessation in Costa Rica: Pilot Study Findings
Feldman, R., Villalobos-Pérez, A., & Rodríguez, R. (2020) · Workplace Health & Safety · doi:10.1177/2165079920907933 · Cited by 2
“Also, coworkers who are exsmokers are seen as important change agents and should be included as well in workplace smoking cessation programs (McEwen et al., 2008; van den Brand et al., 2019).”
BackgroundJackson, S. E., Notley, C. J., & Cox, S. (2026) · BMC Medicine · doi:10.1186/s12916-025-04574-1
“For example, stress relief is often cited as a primary reason for smoking [63, 64], particularly among women [63], who may view cigarettes as a vital coping mechanism.”
Smoking-related gestures and anxiety: a preliminary study in treatment-seeking smokers
Zamboni, L., Locatelli, F., Vesentini, R., Casari, R., Congiu, A., Guerra, A., Bettoni, D., Carli, S., Cappelletti, S., Melchiori, S., et al. (2025) · Frontiers in Public Health · doi:10.3389/fpubh.2025.1665612 · Cited by 1 · see citing works
“This may help explain why smokers with strong ritualistic habits often fail to respond to pharmacotherapy alone (26).”
Yan, K., Feng, Y., Liu, Z., Shi, W., Jiang, Y., & Liu, J. (2023) · Psychological Reports · doi:10.1177/00332941231216894 · Cited by 2 · see citing works
“…are more likely to smoke because they enjoy and like smoking, whereas women are more likely to report functional motivations for smoking, such as stress relief and weight control (Fidler & West, 2009; McEwen et al., 2008), and thus women ’ s negative affect is more strongly associated with smoking.”
Richards, J. (2014) · doi:10.13016/m22309 · Cited by 1
Fitzke, R. E., Raudales, A. M., Ferguson, J. J., Egan, A., Mahoney, C. T., Günsoy, C., & Weiss, N. H. (2026) · Substance Use & Misuse · doi:10.1080/10826084.2026.2727142
When Tobacco and Cannabis Use Motives Interact: Implications for Dependence and Quitting.
Barré, T., Cazorla, G., Leroy, V., Maradan, G., Couderc, C., de Ternay, J., Magnani, C., Carrieri, P., & Protopopescu, C. (2026) · Substance Use & Misuse · doi:10.1080/10826084.2026.2723589
Nizio, P., Jones, A. A., Smit, T., Buckner, J. D., Redmond, B. Y., Businelle, M. S., Obasi, E. M., Zvolensky, M. J., & Garey, L. (2026) · Cognitive Behaviour Therapy · doi:10.1080/16506073.2026.2664879
Gerbracht, C., Staudt, A., Freyer‐Adam, J., Bischof, G., Meyer, C., John, U., & Baumann, S. (2025) · European Addiction Research · doi:10.1159/000545866
“The main motivations to smoke tobacco seem to be enjoyment or stress relief [23, 24].”
Boredom Susceptibility and Quit Smoking: The Role of Anxiety Symptoms
Suárez-Castro, D., Barroso-Hurtado, M., Martínez-Vispo, C., Becoña, E., & López‐Durán, A. (2023) · The Journal of Psychology · doi:10.1080/00223980.2023.2183933
“Moreover, our results suggest that some smokers could use tobacco as a strategy to cope with boredom as reported in previous studies (Cordon et al., 2021; McEwen et al., 2008).”
Result
- Authors
- McEwen, A., West, R., & McRobbie, H.
- Affiliations
- Cancer Research UK (GB)
- University of Auckland (NZ)
- Corresponding author
- McEwen, Andy
- Venue
- Nicotine & Tobacco Research
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2008-05
- Volume
- 10
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 843-850
- ISSN
- 1462-2203 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2024492508
- Cited by
- 120
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 3 · 2023: 12 · 2022: 6 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 8 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 5 · 2015: 7 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 3.62
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Nicotine & Tobacco Research (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- UCL Discovery (University College London) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Economic and Social Research Council (ES/G007489/1)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Keywords
- smoking motivation, nicotine dependence, smoking cessation, withdrawal symptoms, short-term abstinence, relapse, stress reduction, weight management
- MeSH terms
- Adult, Female, Humans, London, Male, Middle Aged, Motivation, Nicotine, Surveys and Questionnaires, Recurrence, Smoking, Substance Withdrawal Syndrome, Tobacco Use Disorder, Logistic Models, Smoking Cessation
About these checks
Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.
Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.
Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.
What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›
Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review
