Smoking and Nicotine Dependence among Shelter-Using Homeless Men in Ohio: Implications for Cessation Intervention

Results: Seventy-three percent of adult homeless male respondents were current smokers, and 44% homeless male smokers smoked their first cigarette within five minutes of waking up. Smokers were significantly more likely to be African American than persons of white or other race. Analysis of the Fagerström Tests for Nicotine Dependence (FTND) revealed 41% homeless male smokers to be in the high nicotine dependence category. A majority of smokers displayed low motivation to quit and were either in the pre-contemplation (56.9%) or contemplation (16.3%) stage of change. Among homeless smokers, about 33% actively tried to limit smoking due to health concerns, and 16% were planning to quit in the next six months.