Overall smoking prevalence has decreased across Australia with just 13 per cent of people aged 14 and over smoking.

However, disadvantage remains a persistent predictor and figures show those in the lowest socio-economic groups are twice as likely to be smokers as their high socio-economic counterparts.

ANU and University of Newcastle researchers have worked together to look deeper at the factors that help people to quit smoking in the hope it will deliver stronger results for groups most at risk.

The survey of 905 people analysed sociodemographic and psychosocial factors, the use of cessation aids and gradual quitting versus going cold turkey.

The study found having lower levels of disadvantage, having more non-smokers in your social network and going cold turkey were all linked with being able to quit.

And contrary to the researcher's hypothesis ex-smokers surveyed reported a low use of evidence-based cessation aids and gradually quitting strategies.

72 per cent of participants reported quitting cold turkey, and the survey found current smokers were significantly more likely than ex-smokers to have used prescription nicotine replacement therapies.

Within the general population, use of evidence-based cessation aids, including nicotine replacement therapy, telephone counselling and other stop smoking medicines increased the likelihood of quitting.

But there was limited evidence of the effectiveness of these aids within groups experiencing disadvantage.

The research, published in Drug and Alcohol Review, was funded through a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia.