Aspiring to physical health: The role of aspirations for physical health in facilitating long-term tobacco abstinence

Christopher P. Niemiec, Richard M. Ryan, Edward L. Deci, Geoffrey C. Williams

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

45 Scopus citations

Abstract

Objective: To assess aspirations for physical health over 18 months. To examine whether maintained importance of aspirations for physical health mediated and/or moderated the effect of an intensive intervention on long-term tobacco abstinence. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to an intervention based on self-determination theory or to community care, and provided data at baseline and at 18 and 30 months post-randomization. Results: Aspirations for physical health were better maintained over 18 months among participants in the intervention (mean change = .05), relative to community care (mean change = -.13), t = 2.66, p < .01. Maintained importance of aspirations for physical health partially mediated the treatment condition effects on seven-day point prevalence tobacco abstinence (z′ = 1.68, p < .01) and the longest number of days not smoking (z′ = 2.16, p < .01), and interacted with treatment condition to facilitate the longest number of days not smoking (β = .08, p < .05). Conclusion: Maintained importance of aspirations for physical health facilitated tobacco abstinence. Practice implications: Smokers may benefit from discussing aspirations for physical health within autonomy-supportive interventions. Patients may benefit from discussing aspirations during counseling about therapeutic lifestyle change and medication use.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)250-257
Number of pages8
JournalPatient Education and Counseling
Volume74
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 2009

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
This research was supported in part by grants from the National Institute of Mental Health (R01-MH59594) and the National Cancer Institute (R01-CA106668).

Keywords

  • Health aspirations
  • Self-determination theory
  • Tobacco abstinence

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