One-year results of a workplace smoking cessation program among a disadvantaged group

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Aim: Our aim was to introduce and evaluate a smoking cessation program conducted among Izmir Bayraklı Municipality’s cleaning workers in 2010.Materials and Methods: The intervention started in March 24,2010. The first 27 participants attended a session and then individual counseling was conducted face-to-face at the workplace. The following 28 participants were only given individual counseling. Knowledge was assessed by a 20-item questionnaire applied before and one month after education. Participants were contacted by telephone to evaluate the six-month and one-year results.Results: The mean age of the 55 participants was 33.4±6.9 (23-54) years and only three were women. Sixty percent had primary school or lower education. The mean age at starting smoking was 15.3±3.3 years and the mean daily consumption 21.6±11.7 cigarettes. Most of the participants had smoked 10 pack-years (72.7%). There was a significant increase in the knowledge level of the participants, particularly on issues concerning quitting, but not of the harmful effects of smoking. Although pharmacologic treatment was proposed to 46 of the participants, only 18 used the treatment, due to mainly economic reasons (n=18). Participants were followed up 6.2±3.5 times (1-15) on the average, including the first counseling. At six months, 13/48 (27.1%) and at one-year, 11/43 (26.2%) participants had quit smoking. Among the followed-up participants at one year, 16 (38.1%) had decreased consumption by a mean of 12.9±8.9 (3-30) cigarettes per day.Conclusion: The application of smoking cessation programs at workplaces could have a significant impact in lowering adult smoking rates. The reduction of the costs of cessation treatment or their coverage by the security scheme will improve the outcome.

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Smoking , workplace , workplace interventions for smoking cessation

Ege Journal Of Medicine

150

Ege Journal Of Medicine