Tove Sohlberg has been a lecturer at the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University, mainly teaching quantitative and qualitative research methods and analysis. Moreover, she has been teaching on a course regarding social problems, including but not limited to, substance use. Tove has also taught quantitative methods at Södertörn University and held seminars at the Police Training. In addition to course responsibility and teaching she has supervised a large number of student thesis at all levels.

Tove previously worked at the then Center for Social Research on Alcohol and Drugs (SoRAD), Stockholm University, with questions regarding different types of substance use. The interest in tobacco in particular led to a doctoral dissertation in 2014. This dissertation project, "Different ways to become smoke-free", analyzed the changes in Swedish tobacco consumption over time from different angles, such as changes in society, and with a focus on differences between groups in the population based on class and gender.

The individuals who participated in the study that formed the basis of the dissertation were then followed up after seven years in the project "Long-term follow-up of former smokers", which was conducted at the Department of Sociology, Stockholm University. The project aimed to see which factors contribute to, or hinder, a long-term and stable smoke-free life.

The current research project, “Recovered, in treatment or dead? A 20-year follow-up of women and men in Swedish substance use treatment”, is conducted at the Department of Public Health Sciences, Stockholm University, and follows up on the clients / patients who sought treatment 20 years ago. These individuals participated in a study and were then followed up after one and five years respectively. The purpose of this present study is to see who is now living a stable integrated life, who is still in treatment and who has died and what factors have contributed to the various outcomes. The role of treatment is in special focus.

A selection from Stockholm University publication database

• How do former smokers perceive information about nicotine products? Evidence from Sweden

  2021. Tove Sohlberg, Patrik Karlsson. Drugs and alcohol today

  Article

  Purpose - Health promotion strategies often attempt to change people’s behavior through targeting their risk perceptions. These perceptions may, however, be moderated by other factors. This study therefore aimed at investigating the trustworthiness and consistency of risk information, as well as respondent perceptions of the adequacy of amount received among a representative sample of former smokers, and how this information is related to gender, age, education level and whether using nicotine or not.

  Design/methodology/approach - The respondents are part of a seven-year follow-up of former smokers in Sweden. Initially, 1400 respondents were contacted, whereof 705 (response rate 50%) answered a Web-survey. The majority (85 %) was still nicotine-free but some made use of nicotine in different forms. The data analysis includes descriptive statistics and logistic regressions.

  Findings - Most respondents trusted risk information whether offered by the public authorities or came from other sources such as media, and generally perceived that there was an adequate amount. However, there were some differences between the products, where quite a few distrusted information on Nicotine Replacement Therapies (NRTs) and some perceived the information on snus and NRTs as contradictory and too little.

  Originality/value - Knowledge about how former smokers perceive information regarding negative aspects of cigarette use may facilitate more effective risk communication with current smokers, and it may also be important for communicating information about other nicotine products to those who are trying to or who already have quit smoking.

  Read more about How do former smokers perceive information about nicotine products? Evidence from Sweden

• Effects of a School Tobacco Policy on Student Smoking and Snus Use

  2020. Håkan Kjällmén (et al.). Health behavior and policy review 7 (4), 358-365

  Article

  Objective: A school tobacco policy (STP) commonly is used to reduce smoking among adolescents, but the effectiveness of such programs is unclear. We evaluated the impact of an STP on tobacco use in 4 schools.

  Methods: The study included 4 intervention and 4 control schools, located in the inner city of Stockholm, Sweden. Schools self-selected for assignment to either an intervention program or a comparison group. In total, the study was comprised of 2671 students in grades 9 and 11, ages 15 to 18, and 1998 students (75%) responded to the questionnaire. We used a repeated cross-sectional design with assessment of tobacco use prevalence before implementation of the STP in 2016 and after 2 years under the program, in 2018.

  Results: Two years after the STP, the intervention school in grade 9 showed a lower prevalence (13.5% vs 1.6%) in the proportion of students who reported smoking (χ2 = 4.54; p < .05) whereas the proportion reporting snus use was practically unchanged. We found no statistically significant impact of the STP for grade 11.

  Conclusions: The results are promising with regard to smoking, when the STP is implemented in early adolescence.

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• Snus cessation patterns - a long-term follow-up of snus users in Sweden

  2020. Tove Sohlberg. Harm Reduction Journal 17 (1)

  Article

  Background: Several studies have investigated the role of snus as an aid to become smoke-free, but few have focused on who use snus, how they perceive snus use, why and how they quit, and their perception of being nonsnus users. The purpose of this paper is to describe snus cessation patterns.

  Methods: Respondents are part of a 7-year follow-up of former smokers in Sweden. Initially, 1400 respondents were contacted regarding participation and 705 answered a web-based survey (response rate 50%). Out of them, 118 had used snus. The analyses include percentage distributions, as well as factor analyses of inventories, and configural frequency analysis in order to examine configurations of snus-related patterns.

  Results: Over 80% found snus of great importance to succeed with smoking cessation and half of them continued to use snus on a long term. Those who experienced both physical and psychological effects of switching to snus were the ones who continued and vice versa; those who did not experience such effects quit using snus. None made use of professional help but had their own strategies (60%), and most respondents who quit obtained psychological benefits (68%).

  Conclusions: The distinction between the concepts smoke-free, tobacco-free, and nicotine-free contributes to nuances in the debate on snus as harm reduction. Continued snus use does not mean that snus is not an effective aid to become smoke-free. Snus cessation is mostly mentioned in relation to advices on how to succeed, but the cessation process has rarely been described; therefore, this study expands the knowledge on this quite neglected topic and contributes to a more nuanced picture of snus cessation.

  Read more about Snus cessation patterns - a long-term follow-up of snus users in Sweden

• Lifestyle and Long-Term Smoking Cessation

  2020. Tove Sohlberg, Karin Helmersson Bergmark. Tobacco Use Insights 13

  Article

  Background: Since smoking is the leading cause of preventable death, discouraging smoking initiation, encouraging smoking cessation, and exploring factors that help individuals to stay smoke free are immensely important. One such relevant factor may be the impact of lifestyle for long-term smoking cessation.

  Method: A representative sample of successful quitters was recruited for a study about smoking cessation. These respondents are now part of a 7-year follow-up with the overall aim of revealing factors affecting long-term smoking cessation. Descriptive analyses were carried out at baseline and at follow-up, as well as a further two-step cluster analysis to explore profiles of long-term smoke-free individuals.

  Results: A majority did not make any particular lifestyle changes, but among those who did, most adopted a healthier lifestyle and/or increased their quota of physical training, where permanent changes in this direction seem to promote a more enduring smoke-free life.

  Conclusions: Individuals who want to quit smoking should be encouraged to increase their level of physical activity. Swedish health care institutions should be able to provide support for this both initially and over time to promote the long-term maintenance of a smoke-free lifestyle.

  Read more about Lifestyle and Long-Term Smoking Cessation

• In favour of tobacco control? Former smokers’ support for tobacco policies

  2019. Tove Sohlberg. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 36 (6), 496-510

  Article

  Background:

  Tobacco control (TC) in Sweden is being continuously strengthened.

  Aims:

  The study aimed to examine attitudes towards different TC policies among former smokers, the difference between nicotine-free former smokers and those who use nicotine in the form of snus or nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs), and whether different TC strategies tend to become more acceptable over time.

  Methods:

  Respondents are part of a seven-year follow-up of former smokers in Sweden. Initially, 1400 respondents were contacted regarding participation and 705 answered a survey (response rate 50%). The present study used cross-sectional data on attitudes towards different TC policies and respondent’s level of support were measured on a 4-point scale. Analyses consist of percentage distribution of level of agreement, in total and between nicotine-free individuals and users of nicotine in the form of snus or NRTs, as well as logistic regressions in order to predict the odds for supporting the different policies. In addition, a percentage distribution of support for different policies introduced during different time-periods is shown.

  Results:

  There is an overall support for smoke-free environments. Nicotine users are, however, overall slightly more opposed, especially to policies aiming at denormalising smoking. Public support is important for successful implementation but resistance can pass, and interventions tend to become more acceptable over time.

  Conclusion:

  While smoke-free indoor environments can be justified by scientific evidence of harm to others, bans against smoking outdoors might be experienced as intrusive. Policies need to rest on scientific arguments and be seen as appropriate actions, underlining the importance of information for successful implementations.

  Read more about In favour of tobacco control? Former smokers’ support for tobacco policies

• How low can we go? Tobacco control in Sweden

  2016. Tove Sohlberg. Nordic Studies on Alcohol and Drugs 33 (4), 339-341

  Article

  Read more about How low can we go? Tobacco control in Sweden

• Smoking cessation and gender differences – results from a Swedish sample

  2015. Tove Sohlberg. Nordisk Alkohol- og narkotikatidsskrift (NAT) 32 (3), 259-276

  Article

  Aim: Previous research has concluded that the prevalence of smoking, as well as reasons to quit and strategies to become smoke-free, varies markedly by gender.  However, we lack a more comprehensive understanding of the process that leads to a quit attempt and a positive long-term outcome, and also the gender specific mechanism behind a successful cessation. The aim is therefore to investigate motives for, mechanism in, and factors behind smoking cessation, with special regard to gender differences.

  Data/Method: During Oct 2009- May 2010 respondents were recruited via the so-called Monitor-project. By the turn of each month 1,500 individuals, aged 16-80, from a representative sample in the Swedish population (n=12 000) were interviewed via telephone. Via a screening process those who stated being previous daily smokers, but smoke-free for at last 12 months, were asked to answer a postal survey (n=1 683) concerning their process to a smoke-free life. The analyses consist of both descriptive statistics and factor analyses.

  Results: The results indicate that women’s smoking filled several functions in life, that they often quit for the sake of others, and that the cessation process was quite complex. Men tended to experience smoking as quite unproblematic and often quit out of more self-oriented reasons. Moreover, even though a majority quit smoking without any professional help or other means the use among those who did was clearly gendered.

  Conclusions: Gender differences were found in reasons to smoke, reasons to quit, and strategies to quit smoking why cessation strategies should be gender sensitive, taking special needs into account.

  Read more about Smoking cessation and gender differences – results from a Swedish sample

• Developmental pathways to smoking cessation

  2014. Tove Sohlberg, Peter Wennberg. Drugs and alcohol today 14 (2), 96-106

  Article

  Purpose – To a great extent research about smoking cessation has focussed on effects from different support programs and means, in spite of that several studies have shown that over 90 percent quit smoking without such help. Factors that are important for the individual in the process from being a smoker to becoming smoke-free is less examined and also how these factors interact. The purpose of this paper is to describe typical careers or pathways that end up with a successful smoking cessation.

  Design/methodology/approach – Respondents were recruited during Oct 2009-May 2010 via screening-questions in the so-called Monitor – project. By the turn of each month 1,500 individuals, aged 16-84, from a representative sample in the Swedish population, were interviewed via telephone. Respondents who stated being previous daily smokers, but smoke-free for at least 12 months, and agreed to participate were asked to answer a postal survey (n=¼1,683) concerning their process to a smoke-free life. The analyses of data included the linking of individuals between different states in the stages toward becoming smoke-free.

  Findings – Several typical pathways were described and respondents with more severe smoking habits followed different pathways than individuals with milder problems. Nicotine replacement therapys or Swedish smoke-free tobacco was not found to be a component in any of the typical pathways.

  Originality/value – Smoking cessation is a heterogeneous phenomenon and individuals can follow several pathways to become smoke-free, therefore this study adds to a more nuanced picture of smoking cessation and also expands the knowledge concerning smoking cessation in individual long-term processes.

  Read more about Developmental pathways to smoking cessation

• Smoking cessation in Sweden - gender, pathways, and identity

  2014. Tove Sohlberg, Jan Blomqvist, Pekka Hakkarainen.

  Thesis (Doc)

  Research on smoking has to a great deal been conducted within a public health or a medical context, or focused on policy making. Fewer studies have taken their point of departure in a social sciences context, and still fewer have analysed why individuals start and cease to smoke, and how and why smoking patterns on an aggregate level change over time and vary between different population groups.

  The aim of this dissertation is to analyse changes in the Swedish tobacco consumption with special emphasis at elucidating the decrease in smoking during the past half-century from different angels. Thus, the first paper explore if and how changes in smoking patterns can be understood and explained with reference to Sweden’s development as a welfare state, and in relation to socio-demographic and socio-economic circumstances. The second paper focuses on the long-term pathways to smoking cessation, by discerning several distinct trajectories from smoker to non-smoker. The third paper analyses gender differences with regard to reasons to smoke, experiences of smoking, and central elements in the cessation process. Finally, in the fourth paper, the issue of to what extent smoking cessation can be described as a process of identity change is explored.  

  Smoking initiation and cessation vary by socio-demographic and socio-economic factors, and the rapid decrease in smoking has resulted in a rather vulnerable group of smokers in these aspects. The results also indicate that the cessation process is complex, with personal and structural factors interacting in the long-term process, leading to multiple pathways to a smoke-free life. Moreover, they point to gender differences in reasons to smoke and to quit, and in strategies to quit smoking. In addition, identity change seems to be important in remaining smoke-free. The stated inequality in gender and class points in the direction that structural changes and social policies might be of need to decrease smoking even further.

  Read more about Smoking cessation in Sweden - gender, pathways, and identity

Show all publications by Tove Marina Sohlberg at Stockholm University