Additional follow-up telephone counselling and initial smoking relapse: a longitudinal, controlled study

Abstract

ObjectivesSmoking cessation services can help smokers to quit; however, many smoking relapse cases occur over time. Initial relapse prevention should play an important role in achieving the goal of long-term smoking cessation. Several studies have focused on the effect of extended telephone support in relapse prevention, but the conclusions remain conflicting.Design and settingFrom October 2008 to August 2013, a longitudinal, controlled study was performed in a large general hospital of Beijing.ParticipantsThe smokers who sought treatment at our smoking cessation clinic were non-randomised and divided into 2 groups: face-to-face individual counselling group (FC group), and face-to-face individual counselling plus telephone follow-up counselling group (FCF group). No pharmacotherapy was offered.OutcomesThe timing of initial smoking relapse was compared between FC and FCF groups. Predictors of initial relapse were investigated during the first 180 days, using the Cox proportional hazards model.ResultsOf 547 eligible male smokers who volunteered to participate, 457 participants (117 in FC group and 340 in FCF group) achieved at least 24 h abstinence. The majority of the lapse episodes occurred during the first 2 weeks after the quit date. Smokers who did not receive the follow-up telephone counselling (FC group) tended to relapse to smoking earlier than those smokers who received the additional follow-up telephone counselling (FCF group), and the log-rank test was statistically significant (p=0.003). A Cox regression model showed that, in the FCF group, being married, and having a lower Fagerström test score, normal body mass index and doctor-diagnosed tobacco-related chronic diseases, were significantly independent protective predictors of smoking relapse.ConclusionsWithin the limitations of this study, it can be concluded that additional follow-up telephone counselling might be an effective strategy in preventing relapse. Further research is still needed to confirm our findings.

Prevalence of tobacco related chronic diseases and its role in smoking cessation among smokers in a rural area of Shanghai, China: a cross sectional study

“…For current smoking, in comparison with the migrant dynamics monitoring survey in China [10] in 2013 (54.40% of adult male and 3.70% of adult female were current smokers) and the GATS [19] in 2012 (the prevalence of current smoking was 52.90% for male and 2.35% for female), the prevalence was lower among Songjiang residents both for the male (48.36%) and the female (0.22%). The lower prevalence of smoking especially the current smoking might attribute to the implementation of new Shanghai Tobacco Control Regulation which was enacted in 2016 [20], and the public health education and intervention on smoking cessation in shanghai as well [11, 13]. According to the new Shanghai Tobacco Control Regulation, all public place in Shanghai is smoke free, and violators both of the smokers and the owner of public place will be punished by the government.…”

“…But currently, information of TCD prevalence among smokers in China is still unclear. Previous studies demonstrating the role of hospital smoking cessation service in promoting smoking cessation among smokers, and evidence has indicated that smokers receive smoking cessation service increases successful rate in quitting [13, 14]. Similarly, the physical health status such as pregnancy as well as diagnosis of chronic diseases (CD) also promote some smokers to stop smoking [15, 16].…”

Effectiveness of Interventions to Reduce Exposure to Parental Secondhand Smoke at Home among Children in China: A Systematic Review

“…Other relapse-prevention strategies should also be developed to sustain the effects of smoking cessation interventions. These include self-help materials, telephone follow-ups over a long period [57], and smoking cessation medications [58].…”

Impact of Smoking on Anal Abscess and Anal Fistula Diseases

“…[ 17 ] Cigarette smoke contains toxins and carcinogenic substances that contribute to infection, as well as the development of cancer and various diseases. [ 14 18 19 ] One study suggested that the use of tobacco was associated with anal cytological abnormalities by CD4 levels. [ 20 ] Another study indicated that components of tobacco smoke inflict genotoxic damage in the anal epithelium of smokers.…”