Identifying Opportunities to Improve Smoking Cessation Among Women Veterans at a Veterans Hospital

While women Veterans have a higher prevalence of smoking than civilian women, little is known about their quitting behavior. Via a chart review, we characterized referral and enrollment patterns in tobacco cessation services (TCS), and quit attempts among 366 women Veteran smokers at a Midwestern Veterans Hospital. Cases receiving referrals to TCS (n = 183) were matched 1:1 to controls who did not (n = 183), by year of referral. Variables included age, marital status, urbanicity, smoking status, comorbidities, pregnancy, packs per day, number of prior smoking cessation medications, provider gender, provider type, and clinical location of referral placement. Of women Veteran smokers, 24% were referred to TCS, and tended to be older, heavier smokers, with more comorbidities, more prior cessation medication prescriptions, and more likely seen by a resident or attending physician. Only 54% of referred women enrolled, and these women were older, had more medical comorbidities and prior cessation medication prescriptions than nonenrolled women. Primary care providers were more likely to have patients enroll versus inpatient providers. Only 8% of enrolled women achieved abstinence at 6 months. Quit attempts were associated with the number of cessation medication prescriptions for enrolled women, and lighter smoking histories for nonenrolled women.