Association of smoking cessation with financial stress and material well-being: Results from a prospective study of a population-based national survey

Objectives. We used 4 waves of prospective data to examine the association of smoking cessation with financial stress and material well-being. Methods. Data (n = 5699 at baseline) came from 4 consecutive waves (2001-2005) of the Household Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia survey. We used mixed models to examine the participant-specific association of smoking cessation with financial stress and material well-being. Results. On average, a smoker who quits is expected to have a 25% reduction (P<.001; odds ratio [OR]=0.75; 95% confidence interaval [CI]=0.69, 0.81) in the odds of financial stress. Similarly, the data provided strong evidence (P<.001) that a smoker who quits is likely to experience an enhanced level of material well-being. Conclusions. Our findings indicate that interventions to encourage smoking cessation are likely to improve standards of living and reduce deprivation. The findings provide grounds for encouraging the social services sector to incorporate smoking cessation efforts into their programs to enhance the material or financial conditions of disadvantaged groups. The findings also provide additional incentives for smokers to stop smoking and as such can be used in antismoking campaigns and by smoking cessation services.