Associations of sociodemographic and smoking characteristics with intention to quit among Chinese adults aged 20–69 years who smoke: Findings from nationwide China Health Literacy Survey during 2018–19

Objective

To identify factors influencing the intention to quit (ItQ) among Chinese who smoke, focusing on 10th Revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) Nicotine dependence. Additionally, to estimate the number of individuals with ItQ, supporting optimal allocation of cessation resources.

Methods

This study used data from the 2018 China Health Literacy Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional study with 20,288 participants who smoke currently aged 20–69 years. The ItQ proportions were estimated overall and by subgroup. Logistic regression was employed to estimate ORs and 95 % CIs for ItQ. The number of people who smoke with ItQ was estimated based on the census data.

Results

In China, 41.34 % of individuals who smoke had ItQ, higher in females (44.89 %) than males (41.34 %). Provincial proportions ranged from 23.53 % to 63.56 %. ItQ was significantly associated with smoking characteristics, including occasional smoking (OR = 2.08, 95 % CI = 1.88–2.20), fewer pack-years (OR = 0.70, 95 % CI = 0.68–0.73), older smoking initiation age (OR = 1.22, 95 % CI = 1.18–1.27), and ICD-10 Nicotine dependence (OR = 1.12, 95 % CI = 1.06–1.19), as well as age, sex, socioeconomic factors, and health status. Withdrawal symptoms were positively associated with ItQ in individuals who smoke without ICD-10 Nicotine dependence but negatively in those with ICD-10 Nicotine dependence. An estimated 100.3 million adults aged 20–69 in China have ItQ, with 52.14 million suffering from ICD-10 Nicotine dependence.

Conclusions

The intention to quit smoking among Chinese who smoke is low and varies by ICD-10 Nicotine dependence and region, underscoring the need for targeted smoking cessation interventions across diverse smoking populations.