NURSE-CONDUCTED SMOKING CESSATION WITH MINIMAL INTERVENTION IN A LUNGCLINIC - A RANDOMIZED CONTROLLED-STUDY

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of a motivational, minimal int ervention approach to smoking cessation in an open, randomized design conducted by nurses as routine work in a lung clinic. Subjects who smo ked less than 10 cigarettes . day(-1), and subjects who smoked greater than or equal to 10 cigarettes . day(-1) and who had refused to parti cipate in a smoking cessation trial with nicotine replacement therapy, were randomly allocated to a motivational approach to smoking cessati on or to a control group. The motivational approach consisted of a nur se-conducted 5 min consultation concerning reasons to quit smoking, br ochures about smoking cessation and advice about how to quit. After 4- 6 weeks, subjects in the motivational group received a letter encourag ing them to quit smoking. After 1 year, all subjects were contacted by phone and smoking status reported. Subjects claiming to be abstinent attended the clinic for carbon monoxide verification. A total of 507 s ubjects were enrolled, 254 in the motivational group and 253 in the co ntrol group. The mean age of the motivational group was 51 yrs, 50% we re males and they smoked a mean of 13 cigarettes . day(-1). The mean a ge of the control group was 53 yrs, 61% were males and they smoked a m ean of 12 cigarettes . day(-1). At the 1 year follow-up, the success r ate for point prevalence (no smoking at 1 year and during the precedin g month) was 8, 7% in the motivational group versus 3.6% in the contro l group (p=0.025). The 12 months sustained success rate (no smoking at all during the year) was 3.1 versus 1.2% (p=0.22). The point prevalen ce for light smokers <10 cigarettes . day(-1)) was 13.9% in the motiva tional group versus 6.3% in control group (p=0.12), and for heavy smok ers (10 or more cigarettes . day(-1)) 5.2% versus 1.9% (p=0.20). In co nclusion, the effect of this nurse-conducted, minimal intervention, mo tivational approach seems promising as the quit rate at 1 year follow- up had doubled.