Reasons for and Scenarios Associated with Failure to Cease Smoking: Results from a Qualitative Study Among Polish Smokers Who Had Unsuccessfully Attempted to Quit

Figures & data

Table 1 Topic Guide for Interviews

Opening Question	Have You Ever Tried to Stop Smoking?
Prompt 1	How many years have you been smoking?
Prompt 2	How many times have you tried to quit smoking?
Prompt 3	Why did you want to quit smoking?
Prompt 4	How long did you cease smoking?
Prompt 5	Can you tell me how you relapsed to smoking?
Prompt 6	What or who do you think was the reason you relapsed?
Prompt 7	How do you think your doctor could help you to refrain from smoking?
Prompt 8	Would you like to add something else about your experience?

Table 2 Example of the Content Analysis Procedure of Deriving a Meaning Unit, a Condensed Meaning Unit, Interpretation, a Subtheme, and a Theme

Meaning Unit	Condensed Meaning Unit; a Description That Closely Resembles the Text	Interpretation (Code)	Subtheme	Theme
I had not smoked for 56 days, and I decided that, since I had not smoked for such a long time, I could allow myself to smoke one cigarette. My strong willpower was then broken.	I did not smoke for many days, and thought I could afford to have one cigarette. My strong willpower was then broken.	Lack of strong willpower and self-discipline and allowing oneself to have “only one cigarette” was an important cause of smoking relapse.	Lack of strong willpower and self-discipline as a reason for smoking relapse.	Reasons for smoking relapse.

Table 3 Participants’ Characteristics

Participant Number	Gender	Smoking Duration (Years)	Number of Attempts
1	M	12	2
2	M	7	2
3	F	10	1
4	F	35	8
5	M	18	1
6	M	6	Several
7	M	12	3
8	M	9	4
9	M	22	1
10	M	15	4
11	F	35	5
12	M	33	Several
13	F	30	4
14	M	22	> 12
15	M	20	5
16	M	40	2
17	F	20	Several
18	F	22	3
19	F	20	1
20	M	40	2

Table 4 Reasons for Failure to Cease Smoking

Reasons	Participant Number
Insufficient willpower and self-discipline	1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 12, 14, 17, 19
Contact with smokers	3, 6, 8, 9, 16, 17
Exposure to stressful situations	3, 5, 11, 15
Lack of family support	8, 13, 18, 20
Weight gain	18, 19
Insufficient improvement in one’s mental and physical well-being	20

Figure 1 A scenario that induces a smoking relapse.