Factors influencing engagement in smoking cessation for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- 1Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, 1100 Veterans Drive, Medical Behavioral Science Building, Lexington, KY 40536-0086, U.S.A.
- 2Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky College of Medicine, Lexington, KY 40508, U.S.A.
- 3Center for Alcohol & Addiction Studies, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI 02903, U.S.A.
Abstract
Introduction People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) may experience tobacco use patterns that place them at elevated risk for nicotine dependence. However, there are few available interventions tailored for people with IDD, suggesting people with IDD may rely on approaches developed for people without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing engagement in tobacco treatment among adults with IDD. Methods Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (n = 39) were conducted, including adults with IDD who currently smoked cigarettes (n = 10), adults with IDD that had quit or reduced smoking (n = 9), disability service providers (n = 12), and tobacco treatment providers (n = 8). Codes were categorized based as individual, social, and structural factors influencing engagement in treatment. A hybrid inductive/deductive coding process was used: deductively structured using the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model framework and inductively coded by the first two authors using participant responses. Results On the individual level, smoking to cope with stress and manage withdrawal were commonly reported by participants with IDD, while concerns over difficulties with comprehension of treatment components were reported by providers. Exposure to peer and provider cigarette smoking was a common social-level barrier reported by all participant groups. On the structural level, financial and transportation barriers were most commonly reported. Conclusion Understanding factors that impact smoking cessation treatment engagement can guide intervention development for adults with IDD. Person centered treatments should include coping-skills training, withdrawal management, and be developed including accessible, tailored materials. Future studies should evaluate these methods among people with IDD. Implications This study identified individual-, social-, and structural-level factors that may impact engagement in smoking cessation treatment among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This study addresses a critical gap in tobacco cessation research by focusing on adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a health disparities population for whom very little cessation research exists, and by focusing on both people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and service providers. The results of this study have direct implications for treatment adaptation.
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BibTeX
@article{regnier2026factors,
title = {{Factors influencing engagement in smoking cessation for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities}},
author = {Sean Regnier and Haley S. McManus and Martha Tillson and Hilary L. Surratt and Hannah K. Knudsen and Jennifer W. Tidey and William W. Stoops},
journal = {Nicotine \& tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1093/ntr/ntag198},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntag198},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Factors influencing engagement in smoking cessation for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
AU - Sean Regnier
AU - Haley S. McManus
AU - Martha Tillson
AU - Hilary L. Surratt
AU - Hannah K. Knudsen
AU - Jennifer W. Tidey
AU - William W. Stoops
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/11
JO - Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
DO - 10.1093/ntr/ntag198
UR - https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntag198
AB - Introduction People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) may experience tobacco use patterns that place them at elevated risk for nicotine dependence. However, there are few available interventions tailored for people with IDD, suggesting people with IDD may rely on approaches developed for people without disabilities. The purpose of this study was to identify factors influencing engagement in tobacco treatment among adults with IDD. Methods Semi-structured interviews with key stakeholders (n = 39) were conducted, including adults with IDD who currently smoked cigarettes (n = 10), adults with IDD that had quit or reduced smoking (n = 9), disability service providers (n = 12), and tobacco treatment providers (n = 8). Codes were categorized based as individual, social, and structural factors influencing engagement in treatment. A hybrid inductive/deductive coding process was used: deductively structured using the Practical, Robust Implementation and Sustainability Model framework and inductively coded by the first two authors using participant responses. Results On the individual level, smoking to cope with stress and manage withdrawal were commonly reported by participants with IDD, while concerns over difficulties with comprehension of treatment components were reported by providers. Exposure to peer and provider cigarette smoking was a common social-level barrier reported by all participant groups. On the structural level, financial and transportation barriers were most commonly reported. Conclusion Understanding factors that impact smoking cessation treatment engagement can guide intervention development for adults with IDD. Person centered treatments should include coping-skills training, withdrawal management, and be developed including accessible, tailored materials. Future studies should evaluate these methods among people with IDD. Implications This study identified individual-, social-, and structural-level factors that may impact engagement in smoking cessation treatment among adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This study addresses a critical gap in tobacco cessation research by focusing on adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, a health disparities population for whom very little cessation research exists, and by focusing on both people with intellectual and developmental disabilities and service providers. The results of this study have direct implications for treatment adaptation.
SN - 1462-2203
SN - 1469-994X
ER -