Effectiveness of a brief physician counselling session on improving smoking behaviour in the workplace

• Main Authors: Han, Y.W (Author), Liew, S.M (Author), Mohammad, M. (Author)
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Asian Pacific Organization for Cancer Prevention 2014
• Subjects: adult; Adult; controlled study; counseling; Counseling; human; Humans; male; Male; manufacturing industry; Manufacturing Industry; occupational health service; Occupational Health Services; Physician counselling; procedures; psychology; Randomised control trial; randomized controlled trial; smoking; Smoking; Smoking behaviour; smoking cessation; Smoking Cessation; therapy; Transtheoretical model; treatment outcome; Treatment Outcome; workplace; Workplace
• Online Access: View Fulltext in Publisher; View in Scopus
• ISBN: 15137368 (ISSN)
• DOI: 10.7314/APJCP.2014.15.17.7287

Background: Brief physician counselling has been shown to be effective in improving smokers' behaviour. If the counselling sessions can be given at the workplace, this would benefit a larger number of smokers. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of a ten-minute physician counseling session at the workplace in improving smoking behaviour. Materials and Methods: This prospective randomised control trial was conducted on smokers in a factory. A total of 163 participants were recruited and randomised into control and intervention groups using a table of random numbers. The intervention group received a ten-minute brief physician counselling session to quit smoking. Stages of smoking behaviour were measured in both groups using a translated and validated questionnaire at baseline, one month and three months post intervention. Results: There was a significant improvement in smoking behaviour at one-month post intervention (p=0.024, intention to treat analysis; OR=2.525; CI=1.109-5.747). This was not significant at three-month post intervention (p=0.946, intention to treat analysis; OR=1.026; 95% CI=0.486-2.168). Conclusions: A session of brief physician counselling was effective in improving smokers' behaviour at workplace, but the effect was not sustained.