The impact of cessation aids on sustained quitting and weight gain among adults with a quit attempt in the PATH study.

INTRODUCTION: This study aimed to compare cessation and weight gain among US adults in Wave 6 of the PATH Study. METHODS: Participants reporting a past year quit attempt (n = 2454) were grouped by cessation aid used: (1) medication (Rx), (2) nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), (3) e-cigarettes (EC), (4) Rx + NRT, (5) Rx or NRT plus EC, or (6) None/no aid. Past-year smoking cessation and cessation-related eating/weight gain were regressed onto cessation aid, adjusting for relevant covariates. The impact of flavor was also tested among those using e-cigarettes to quit. RESULTS: In adjusted models, those using e-cigarettes were less likely to quit than those using no aid. Among successful quitters, all cessation aids, except exclusive e-cigarette use, were associated with increased eating/weight gain in unadjusted models, but not in adjusted models. Use of novel e-cigarette flavors did not increase cessation likelihood. CONCLUSIONS: Commonly used cessation aids did not improve cessation outcomes or prevent weight gain among US adults in real-world quit attempts. People using e-cigarettes to quit were less successful and had comparable weight gain to those using no aid, with no impact of e-cigarette flavor, suggesting additional support may be needed for people trying to use e-cigarettes to quit.