Intentions to quit smoking change over short periods of time

To assess the stability of intention to quit smoking, 115 US and Swedish smokers were randomized to complete Stage of Change (SOC) or ladder scales of intentions to quit at either 0, 7, 14 and 30 days or at 0 and 30 days in the absence of intervention. The four-assessment group had more progression in intention to quit than the two-assessment group. Depending on the measure, 12-17% of smokers changed their intention to quit over 7 days, 15-25% changed over 14 days and 17-34% changed over 30 days. Results were similar in Swedish and US participants and replicate the results of prior studies. We conclude intention to quit often spontaneously changes over short periods of time, especially with repeated testing. (c) 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.