SMOKING CESSATION AMONG HOSPITALIZED-PATIENTS - A QUASI-EXPERIMENTAL STUDY IN QUEBEC

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to valuate the impact of a smok ing cessation intervention for hospitalized patients, implemented by r egular staff and incorporated into their routine care of patients. Met hods: The intervention was conducted in one experimental hospital and in two control hospitals. Results: One year after discharge, 15% of sm okers became non-smokers in the experimental hospital versus 8% in the control hospitals. This difference is not statistically significant ( p = 0.08), however a small sample in the control hospitals had an infl uence on the statistical power. A logistic regression highlights progr am participation as the only variable predictive of a non-smoker statu s one year after discharge, considering both types of hospitals (exper imental and control). Conclusion: Establishing relevancy of smoking ce ssation intervention for hospitalized patients is probably no longer n eeded. But research should be carried on towards finding: better ways to convince the staff to intervene, towards establishing relevancy for specialized staff and defining intensity of required interventions be fore and after hospitalization.