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Impact of biomarker feedback on smoking
Lion Shahab
Abstract
Objective: To examine the potential impact of visual personalised biomarker feedback on intention to stop smoking and to evaluate possible underlying causal pathways.
Design: This study is a pilot for a randomised controlled trial. Outcome measures were assessed immediately after the intervention and at four weeks follow-up.
Method: Twenty-three smokers attending a cardiovascular outpatient clinic in London were randomly allocated to one of two groups: to either receive a print-out of an ultrasound image of their carotid artery showing atherosclerotic plaque alongside an image of a disease-free artery, or to receive routine verbal feedback.
Results: The intervention significantly increased perceptions of susceptibility to smoking-related diseases (Cohen's h=0.99) and led to increases both in engagement in smoking cessation behaviours (Cohen's h=0.79) and intentions to stop smoking (Cohn's d=0.44). The latter was moderated by self-efficacy: the intervention increased intention to stop smoking only in people with higher levels of self-efficacy in stopping smoking.
Conclusions: This study provides preliminary support for the potential effectiveness of personalised biomarker feedback to increase intentions to stop smoking. It also highlights the need to target and increase self-efficacy in smoking cessation interventions.
Lion Shahab
Research Health Psychologist / PhD Student
Cancer Research UK Health Behaviour Unit
2-16 Torrington Place
London
WC1E 6BT
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