Smoking
Conditions
Keywords
smoking cessation interventions
Brief summary
Previous research shows a significant proportion of smokers work in full-time employment. Given that the majority of smokers do not aware of the smoking cessation services available in Hong Kong, implementing smoking cessation policy in the workplaces may assist a considerable number of smokers to stop or reduce smoking. This study aims to: 1. examine the employers' knowledge, attitudes and practices in promoting smoking cessation in workplace. 2. test the effectiveness of a brief and an intensive smoking cessation interventions to help workers stop smoking In Phase I of this study, a large scale cross-sectional survey will be conducted to 3000 corporate companies in Hong Kong. The questionnaire will examine the employers' knowledge, attitudes and practices in promoting smoking cessation in the workplaces. In Phase II, a longitudinal study will be conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a smoking cessation intervention offered by the Department of Psychology, the University of Hong Kong. Smokers from the participating companies will be interviewed before the intervention at baseline, immediately after the intervention, and at 1-, 4-, 12-, 26- and 52-week post-intervention follow-ups. The follow-up assessments will consist of a biochemical validation for the self-reported quitters who report quitting in the past 7 days via exhaled carbon monoxide and saliva cotinine concentration tests. Participants' smoking behaviour, knowledge on smoking and satisfaction of the smoking cessation services will also be evaluated. It is hypothesized that the smoking cessation intervention helps workers stop smoking. Employers' knowledge and attitudes are positively associated with the practices in promoting smoking cessation in workplace. Process evaluation: Qualitative interviews, including in-depth interviews and/or focus group will be conducted after 6-month follow-up.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALWorkshop
Intensive psychological intervention included motivation of quitting enhancement, stress management and smoking triggers, craving and relapse are used to provide smoking cessation intervention
BEHAVIORALFace-to-face counseling
Use motivational interview strategies through face-to-face counseling to provide smoking cessation intervention
BEHAVIORALPhone counseling
Use motivational interview strategies through phone counseling to provide smoking cessation intervention.
BEHAVIORALHealth talk
Health talk provided information about hazards of tobacco (active smoking, second- and third-hand smoke), benefits of quitting smoking and methods to quit smoking.
BEHAVIORALBooklet
A 26-page booklet included information about smoking and diseases, benefits of quitting smoking, methods to quit smoking, how to handle withdrawal symptoms, stress management, declaration of quitting smoking, decisional balance of smoking or quitting.
BEHAVIORALSMS
Fifteen SMS were sent to subjects included welcome messages, risk of smoking, correction of myths about smoking or quitting, quitting tips, benefits of quitting, encouragement of quitting
Sponsors
Lok Sin Tong Benevolent Society, Kowloon
The University of Hong Kong
Study design
Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
NONE
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
* Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above * Cantonese speaker and able to read in Chinese characters * Smoke at least one cigarette per day * Stay at Hong Kong during the intervention and follow-up periods (12 months)
Exclusion criteria
* Smokers who are psychologically or physically unable to communicate * Smokers who are currently following other smoking cessation programme(s) * Smokers with diagnosed psychiatric illnesses
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Employers' KAP | Before the health talk | A questionnaire aimed to examine the employers'/ managerial staff's knowledge, attitudes and practices in promoting smoking cessation in the workplace. The questionnaires consist of three parts: 1. Employers's knowledge was assessed by measuring the average number of correct answers on questions about smoking and quitting (Scale 1-7). 2. Employers' attitude was assessed by measuring the average number agreeing items about their willingness to support employees to quit which included implementation of measures to show support for smoking cessation in the workplace or participation in smoking cessation programme (Scale 1-17). 3. Employers' practice was assessed by the level of smoking ban in the workplace as reported by the employer. (Scale 1-4; 1: not prohibited, 2: prohibited by not strictly, 3: Strictly prohibited and 4: absolutely strictly prohibited). |
| Smoking Quit Rate | 6 month follow-up and 12 month follow-up | smoking quit rate was defined as the self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Smoking Reduction | 6 month follow-up and 12 month follow-up | Reduced at least 50% of cigarette consumption |
Countries
China
Participant flow
Participants by arm
| Arm | Count |
|---|---|
| Group A Health talk + workshop (Motivational intervention) + booklet + Short Message Service (SMS)
Motivational intervention: Use motivational interview strategies to provide smoking cessation intervention | 76 |
| Group B Face to Face counseling (Motivational intervention) + Booklet + SMS
Motivational intervention: Use motivational interview strategies to provide smoking cessation intervention | 11 |
| Group C Phone counseling (Motivational intervention) + Health talk + booklet + SMS
Motivational intervention: Use motivational interview strategies to provide smoking cessation intervention | 516 |
| Group D Phone counseling (Motivational intervention) + booklet + SMS
Motivational intervention: Use motivational interview strategies to provide smoking cessation intervention | 39 |
| Total | 642 |
Baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | Group A | Group B | Group C | Group D | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age, Continuous | 74.8 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 28.5 | 51.1 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 19.3 | 81.5 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 28 | 60.0 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 26.6 | 78.9 years STANDARD_DEVIATION 28.6 |
| Gender Female | 9 Participants | 1 Participants | 89 Participants | 4 Participants | 103 Participants |
| Gender Male | 67 Participants | 10 Participants | 427 Participants | 35 Participants | 539 Participants |
| Region of Enrollment China | 76 participants | 11 participants | 516 participants | 39 participants | 642 participants |
Adverse events
| Event type | EG000 affected / at risk | EG001 affected / at risk | EG002 affected / at risk | EG003 affected / at risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| deaths Total, all-cause mortality | — / — | — / — | — / — | — / — |
| other Total, other adverse events | 0 / 76 | 0 / 11 | 0 / 516 | 0 / 39 |
| serious Total, serious adverse events | 0 / 76 | 0 / 11 | 0 / 516 | 0 / 39 |
Outcome results
Primary
Employers' KAP
A questionnaire aimed to examine the employers'/ managerial staff's knowledge, attitudes and practices in promoting smoking cessation in the workplace. The questionnaires consist of three parts: 1. Employers's knowledge was assessed by measuring the average number of correct answers on questions about smoking and quitting (Scale 1-7). 2. Employers' attitude was assessed by measuring the average number agreeing items about their willingness to support employees to quit which included implementation of measures to show support for smoking cessation in the workplace or participation in smoking cessation programme (Scale 1-17). 3. Employers' practice was assessed by the level of smoking ban in the workplace as reported by the employer. (Scale 1-4; 1: not prohibited, 2: prohibited by not strictly, 3: Strictly prohibited and 4: absolutely strictly prohibited).
Time frame: Before the health talk
Population: In Phase 1, questionnaires were sent out to 580 companies and 292 of the company employers returned the complete questionnaire. These 292 employers were not participating in the Phase 2 of this study.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (MEAN) | Dispersion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Employers' KAP | Employers' KAP | Employers' practice on smokefree workplace policy | 3.40 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 0.76 |
| Employers' KAP | Employers' KAP | Employers' knowledge on smoking and quitting | 3.08 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 3.24 |
| Employers' KAP | Employers' KAP | Employers' attitude on assisting employees to quit | 6.06 units on a scale | Standard Deviation 4.16 |
Primary
Smoking Quit Rate
smoking quit rate was defined as the self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence
Time frame: 6 month follow-up and 12 month follow-up
Population: In Phase 2, a sample of 642 employees enrolled in the study and chose 1 among the 4 conditions for smoking cessation.
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (NUMBER) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employers' KAP | Smoking Quit Rate | 6-month Follow up | 26 participants |
| Employers' KAP | Smoking Quit Rate | 12-month Follow up | 29 participants |
| Group B | Smoking Quit Rate | 12-month Follow up | 4 participants |
| Group B | Smoking Quit Rate | 6-month Follow up | 3 participants |
| Group C | Smoking Quit Rate | 6-month Follow up | 155 participants |
| Group C | Smoking Quit Rate | 12-month Follow up | 164 participants |
| Group D | Smoking Quit Rate | 6-month Follow up | 15 participants |
| Group D | Smoking Quit Rate | 12-month Follow up | 14 participants |
Secondary
Smoking Reduction
Reduced at least 50% of cigarette consumption
Time frame: 6 month follow-up and 12 month follow-up
| Arm | Measure | Group | Value (NUMBER) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employers' KAP | Smoking Reduction | 6-month follow up | 16 participants |
| Employers' KAP | Smoking Reduction | 12-month follow up | 15 participants |
| Group B | Smoking Reduction | 12-month follow up | 1 participants |
| Group B | Smoking Reduction | 6-month follow up | 5 participants |
| Group C | Smoking Reduction | 12-month follow up | 66 participants |
| Group C | Smoking Reduction | 6-month follow up | 70 participants |
| Group D | Smoking Reduction | 12-month follow up | 4 participants |
| Group D | Smoking Reduction | 6-month follow up | 5 participants |