Self-efficacy and smoking cessation maintenance: A preliminary report

The construct of self-efficacy developed by Bandura was operationalized and applied to the problem of long-term maintenance of smoking cessation and demonstrated good internal consistency.

Abstract

This study operationalized the construct of self-efficacy developed by Bandura and applied it to the problem of long-term maintenance of smoking cessation. A measure of self-efficacy for avoiding smoking was used to analyze the relationship between self-efficacy and subjects' ability to maintain posttreatment abstinence at a 5-month follow-up. Subjects were confirmed, heavy smokers who previously had quit smoking by three different procedures. Subjects were administered the self-efficacy measure and a demographic and smoking history questionnaire an average of 4 weeks after quitting smoking. Maintenance was assessed at 5-month follow-up. Two-thirds of all subjects successfully maintained nonsmoking at follow-up with no group differences for success. Maintainers (N = 42)did not differ from recidivists (N = 21)on any demographic or smoking history variables. However, maintainers did show significantly higher self-efficacy scores than recidivists. The measure of self-efficacy for smoking cessation maintenance demonstrated good internal consistency.