Original Research Article
Year: 2022 | Month: April | Volume: 12 | Issue: 4 | Pages: 236-245
DOI: https://doi.org/10.52403/ijhsr.20220427
Assessment of the Motivation for Smoking Cessation among the Citizens of the Republic of North Macedonia
Shaban Memeti1, 2, Elena Kjosevska1, 2, Sanja Prosheva1, Martin Petrovski1, Marya Hubbard3, Emily Emerson3, Steve Carter3, Jake Fultz3, Thomas Welch3, Fernanda Gutierrez Matos3, Kateri Drinkard3, Larissa Bello3, Reed Kennedy3, Stephen Werre3, Kerry Redican3, Kevin Laoh4, Clay Buttemere5, Aleksandar Mitov6
1Institute of Public Health of the Republic of North Macedonia, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
2Faculty of Medicine, University “St. Cyril and Methodius”, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
3Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia
4ICF International, Reston, Virginia
5CEO, LinkAcross, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
6Public Health Specialist, Skopje, Republic of North Macedonia
Corresponding Author: Elena Kjosevska
ABSTRACT
Introduction: North Macedonia is among the top rated countries with high smoking prevalence with high rate of adult smoking 48.4%, and nearly 81.4% of the smokers started smoking before being 25 years of age.
This paper will highlight the prevalence and public’s motivation on smoking cessation, broken down into age groups throughout the entire country of North Macedonia.
Materials and Methods: The method is an analytical-descriptive method with cross sectional study, as a result to a quantitative-qualitative survey conducted among the population in 2021 with the collaboration of the Virginia Tech University and the NGO Link Across. Data from the Qualtrics housed surveys and the completed paper surveys were entered into an Excel DB. Descriptive statistics were generated for all questions. Bivariate data were analyzed using r.
Results and Discussion: Smoking is widely spread among all age groups, but with a trend to decrease in numbers as the age is of a higher number - 32.2% belongs to the 18 to 24 year old group. Distribution by gender -57.8% female, 40.4% male. Younger age groups have the highest relative frequencies about the intention to quit smoking within one month. Approximately 16% of participants who were smokers and attempted to quit, were smoke free and successful in cessation. Majority of survey participants who attempted to quit were not successful and resumed smoking within 6 months. This is strong justification of smokers who attempt to quit needing a program that would guide them and maintain the attempts for cessation.
Conclusions: New state programs for smoking cessation should be offered as soon as possible. Also regarding the changes in smoking protection laws, they should be analyzed; some of the changes need to be reverted regarding the law legislation of the new modern ways of tobacco use, which are on the rise all over the world.
Key words: smoking cessation, motivation, North Macedonia.