A 5-year evaluation of a smoking cessation incentive program for chemical employees.
BACKGROUND
This 5-year study of the Dow Chemical Texas Operations 1984-1985 Smoking Cessation Incentive Program (SCIP) evaluated the smoking habits of 1,097 participants and 1,174 nonparticipants.


RESULTS
We observed, via questionnaire and saliva cotinine data, that participants were 2.3 times more likely to be long-term (greater than or equal to 5 years) nonusers of tobacco than nonparticipants (10.2% vs 4.4%, P less than or equal to 0.01). However, smoking cessation rates for 3-4 years, 1-2 years, and less than 1 year were similar for participants who remained smokers at the conclusion of SCIP and nonparticipants. Age and the interaction between the management job category and having quit smoking for at least 30 days sometime prior to the worksite program were important predictors of smoking cessation among participants. Thirty-six percent of the participants who were considered exsmokers of 6 months duration at the conclusion of the program in 1985 remained long-term quitters 5 years later. Stress and enjoyment of smoking were the two most important reasons provided by participants for recidivism.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this 5-year evaluation demonstrate the heterogeneity of employee participation and success with a worksite smoking cessation program.
Olsen
G W
GW
Dow Chemical Company, Health and Environmental Sciences, Epidemiology, Midland, Michigan 48674.
Lacy
S E
SE
Sprafka
J M
JM
Arceneaux
T G
TG
Potts
T A
TA
Kravat
B A
BA
Gondek
M R
MR
Bond
G G
GG
D000041:Absenteeism; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D003367:Cotinine / Q000737:chemistry; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007587:Job Description; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000592:standards*; D012463:Saliva / Q000737:chemistry; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology
D003367:Cotinine