Outcomes of a large single session smoking cessation group: a case study

Authors:
Gillian Gould and Tracey Watters

Presenter:
Gillian Gould
Senior Research Fellow, Rural Clinical School,
University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour, Australia

Abstract
A two hr group smoking cessation workshop was held in Grafton in 2009. Grafton is a historic city on the North Coast of NSW with a relatively stable population of 18,500. Its socio-economic index is amongst the lowest of the state and the area has a relatively high smoking prevalence of 23% compared to 18.8% in the rest of NSW.

The session, a mix of didactic education, large and small group work covering both behavioural change and pharmacotherapies, was conducted by a GP and a health promotion officer. 44 participants attended the session: 19 male and 25 female. Surveys were taken on registration and at 6 month follow-up. All participants were contactable at follow-up. The quit rate was 25% (11/44 – 5 male and 6 female), 7 of these were able to meet to have abstinence verified by expired CO readings.

The literature cites that the dose-response relation of quit interventions is important for cessation success with one-off person-to-person interventions faring poorly at 10.4% and 6 – 8 week group programs having quit rates in the order of 30%. Local research of triple session groups shows a quit rate of 25%. Single session group smoking cessation workshops may be a valid and economic way to reach smaller centres with quit rates indicated here as being higher than expected. The model is worthy of further research.

Source of funding: Mid North Coast (NSW) Division of General Practice

Declaration of interest: none