Attempts to quit smoking among Indonesian male smokers: findings from the 2011 and 2021 global adult tobacco survey (GATS)
Abstract
Purpose: This study examines attempts to quit smoking patterns among Indonesian males using 2011 and 2021 GATS data to identify influencing factors.
Methods: The study conducted a secondary analysis on male respondents aged 15 years and older with a history of smoking, consisting of current smokers and former smokers, utilizing a weighted sample. The outcome variable was attempts to quit smoking among male ever smokers. Independent variables involved sociodemographic characteristics, awareness of health consequences, and exposure to information about the dangers of smoking through various media.
Results: The prevalence of attempts to quit smoking among Indonesian males increased from 29.8% in 2011 to 43.6% in 2021. In 2011, quit attempts were significantly associated with urban residence (aOR 1.46; 95% CI: 1.02–2.10), health awareness (aOR 2.26; 95% CI: 1.63–3.13), exposure to anti-smoking information from radio (aOR 1.45; 95% CI: 1.13–1.86), and television (aOR 1.47; 95% CI: 1.04–2.09). In 2021, significant factors included urban residence (aOR 1.27; 95% CI: 1.02–1.59), health awareness (aOR 1.76; 95% CI: 1.40–2.20), unemployment (aOR 1.61; 95% CI: 1.25–2.07), exposure to anti-smoking information from billboards (aOR 1.35; 95% CI: 1.09–1.68), and the internet (aOR 1.62; 95% CI: 1.31–1.99). These findings highlight the role of place of residence, awareness of health, and exposure to information about the dangers of smoking through various media in attempts to quit smoking.
Conclusion: Public health initiatives should enhance awareness campaigns, target rural and lower-educated populations, strengthen tobacco control policies, adopt media strategies, and increase encouragement of health awareness to quit smoking across different demographic groups.
References
Aggarwal S, Khandelwal D, Dutta D, Kalra S, Balhara YPS. Diabetes and smoking: the burden of evidence. In: Rodriguez-Saldana J, editor. The Diabetes Textbook: Clinical Principles, Patient Management and Public Health Issues. Cham: Springer International Publishing; 2023. Available from: [Website]
Murin S, Bilello KS. Respiratory tract infections: another reason not to smoke. Cleveland Clinic Journal of Medicine. 2005;72(10):916–20.
World Health Organization. Tobacco. Geneva: WHO; 2025. Available from: [Website]
Safiri S, Nejadghaderi SA, Abdollahi M, Carson-Chahhoud K, Kaufman JS, Bragazzi NL, et al. Global, regional, and national burden of cancers attributable to tobacco smoking in 204 countries and territories, 1990-2019. Cancer Medicine. 2022;11 (13):2662–78.
Holipah H, Sulistomo HW, Maharani A. Tobacco smoking and risk of all-cause mortality in Indonesia. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(12):e0242558.
Kusumawardani N, Tarigan I, Suparmi, Schlotheuber A. Socio-economic, demographic and geographic correlates of cigarette smoking among Indonesian adolescents: results from the 2013 Indonesian Basic Health Research (RISKESDAS) survey. Global Health Action. 2018;11(sup1): 1467605.
Ministry of Health of Republic of Indonesia. Survei Kesehatan Indonesia (SKI) 2023. Jakarta: Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia; 2023. Available from: [Website]
Gallucci G, Tartarone A, Lerose R, Lalinga AV, Capobianco AM. Cardiovascular risk of smoking and benefits of smoking cessation. Journal of Thoracic Disease. 2020;12(7):3866–76.
Le TTT, Mendez D, Warner KE. The benefits of quitting smoking at different ages. American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 2024;67(5):684–8.
Ding N, Sang Y, Chen J, Ballew SH, Kalbaugh CA, Salameh MJ, et al. Cigarette smoking, smoking cessation, and long-term risk of 3 major atherosclerotic diseases. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 2019;74(4):498-507.
Toll BA, Rojewski AM, Duncan LR, Latimer-Cheung AE, Fucito LM, Boyer JL, et al. "Quitting smoking will benefit your health": the evolution of clinician messaging to encourage tobacco cessation. Clinical Cancer Research. 2014;20(2):301–9.
Effendi DE, Ardani I, Handayani S, Agustiya RI, Nugroho AP, Oktriyanto O, et al. Factors associated with quitting smoking among males: Findings from Indonesian national health survey. Clinical Epidemiology and Global Health. 2024;28:101672.
Ayuningtyas DA, Tuinman MA, Prabandari YS, Hagedoorn M. Smoking cessation experience in Indonesia: does the non-smoking wife play a role?. Frontiers in Psychology. 2021;12:618182.
Muhammad R, Nursani. The role of socioeconomic determinants on individual decision to quit smoking: evidence from Indonesia. Journal of Developing Economies. 2023;8(2):364–78.
World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia. Global Adult Tobacco Survey: Indonesia Report 2011. New Delhi: World Health Organization; 2012. Available from: [Website]
World Health Organization, Regional Office for South-East Asia. Global Adult Tobacco Survey, Indonesia Report 2021. Jakarta: World Health Organization; 2022. Available from: [Website]
Wihatno E, Asri Y, Kushayati N, Parahita DP. Urban-rural disparities in smoking prevalence, consumption, and indoor smoking habits among older adults in Indonesia. Care: Jurnal Ilmiah Ilmu Kesehatan. 2025;13(1):30–41.
Rahim O, Juliansyah J, Robiyandi R, Sagena UW, Masjaya M. Perlindungan lingkungan sosial melalui kebijakan publik tentang kawasan tanpa rokok (KTR). MANAJEMEN. 2024;4(2):122–33.
Septiono W. Quasi-experimental study on the impact of local smoke-free policies on smoking among Indonesian adults: Evidence from repeated national health surveys. International Journal of Drug Policy. 2024;124:104307.
Nguyen NB, Minh HV, Tuyet Hanh TT, Le AKT, Khue LN, et al. Factors associated with intention to quit among male smokers in Vietnam: results from the Vietnam population-based provincial Global Adult Tobacco Survey in 2022-2023. Tobacco Use Insight. 2025;18:1179173X251334258.
Sabran, Apridar, Abrar M. Impact of COVID-19 pandemic on unemployment in Indonesia. International Journal of Quantitative Research and Modeling. 2023;4(1):10–9.
Sathirapanya C, Wichaidit W, Kasemsup V, Pipattanachat V, Chotipanvithayakul R. Association of financial distress and monthly income with smoking cessation intention and attempt among current smokers in Thailand: a cross-sectional study. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2025;22(8):1287.
Guignard R, Quatremère G, Pasquereau A, Jartoux C, Salvaing L, Caline G, et al. Barriers against and motivations for quitting smoking during the COVID-19 health crisis: results of a qualitative study in France. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2022;19(20):13051.
Falba T, Teng HM, Sindelar JL, Gallo WT. The effect of involuntary job loss on smoking intensity and relapse. Addiction. 2005;100(9):1330–9.
Al-Kalbani SR. Sociodemographic, health-related, and external determinants of quit attempts among adult tobacco users: A cross-sectional study using a nationally representative sample in Oman. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation. 2025;11(October):48.
Kapinga NM, Wenegieme EE, Omole OB. Associations between quit attempts and health behaviors among tobacco users attending a district hospital in South Africa. Public Health and Toxicology. 2025;5(4):18.
Septauli KM, Susanto AD, Agustin H, Ginting TT, Taufik FF. The 4T approach for smoking cessation compliance for pulmonary tuberculosis patients in Persahabatan Referral Hospital. Jurnal Respirologi Indonesia. 2024;44(1):66–81
Dadras O. Predictor of smoking cessation among school-going adolescents in Indonesia: a secondary analysis based on the transtheoretical model of behavioral change. Frontiers in Psychiatry. 2024;15: 1374731.
Ministry of Health Malaysia. GATS Global Adult Tobacco Survey Fact Sheet: Malaysia 2023. Kuala Lumpur: Ministry of Health Malaysia; 2024. Available from: [Website]
Putra IWGAE, Astuti PAS, Duana IMK, Suarjana IK, Mulyawan KH, Kurniasari NMD, et al. The implementation of smoke-free workplace policy and the determinants affecting indoor smoking in Indonesia. WHO South East Asia Journal of Public Health. 2022;11(2):97–101.
Astutik E, Megatsari H, Gandeswari K, Sebayang SK, Nadhiroh SR, Martini S. Exposure to outdoor cigarette advertisements and cigarette retailers near Indonesian schools: Density, proximity, and students’ self-report of exposure. Tobacco Prevention & Cessation. 2024;10(November):58.
Hadiyani W, Nambiar N, Said FBM. Effectiveness of digital media-base on smoking cessation program toward empowerment among adolescent in Indonesia. Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences. 2022;10(E):1838–43.
Kodriati N, Fitriani I, Kulsum ZF. A Descriptive content analysis of anti-smoking messages among Indonesians on Instagram. Jurnal Promkes: The Indonesian Journal of Health Promotion and Health Education. 2024;12(SI2):119–25.
Copyright (c) 2026 Nohan Arum Romadlona, Siti Fatimah, Meirina Nur Asih Susanti, Muhammad Shaddam Naufal Alim
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
