Factors associated with baseline smoking self-efficacy among male Qatari residents enrolled in a quit smoking study

Smoking self-efficacy, described as confidence in one’s ability to abstain from smoking in high-risk situations is a key predictor in cessation outcomes; however, there is a dearth of research on factors that influence self-efficacy surrounding smoking behavior. This study examines factors associated with baseline self-efficacy among treatment seeking participants enrolled in a pilot feasibility smoking cessation study. Participants (n = 247) were daily male smokers, residents of Doha in Qatar (18–60 years) who were enrolled in a telephone-based smoking cessation study. Baseline assessments included self-efficacy, home smoking rules, socio-demographic variables, smoking history, and psychosocial characteristics. Factors associated with self-efficacy were assessed using multiple linear regression analysis. Results showed that after controlling for relevant variables, number of cigarettes smoked (β^ = -0.22; 95% CI: -0.37, -0.06), having at least one quit attempt in the past year (β^ = 2.30; 95% CI: 0.27, 4.35), and reporting a complete home smoking ban (β^ = 3.13; 95% CI: 0.56, 5.70) were significantly associated with higher self-efficacy to quit smoking. These results provide data-driven indication of several key variables that can be targeted to increase smoking self-efficacy in this understudied population.