title: A televised, self-help, cigarette smoking cessation intervention.
abstract: A televised, self-help cigarette smoking cessation intervention was conducted and evaluated. During the 20-day program, reports were broadcast daily on the evening news programs of the local affiliate station of a national television network. Two samples of smokers who requested self-help manuals were interviewed by telephone immediately following the conclusion of the program and again 3 months later concerning their demographic characteristics, participation in the program, and smoking and quitting experiences. In one sample heavier smokers who expressed a greater desire to quit were more likely to participate in the program and, at the three-month followup, 21% reported being abstinent compared to 10% of those who did not participate. Smokers in the other sample were invited to attend three weekly support meetings during the program. More of those who attended meetings (35%) reported quitting during the program than those who did not attend (23%), but this difference did not persist for 3 months. A greater percentage of the meeting sample (27%) than the other sample (21%) reported abstinence initially, but this difference did not persist for three months either. Intervention outcomes are compared with several standards.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Illinois, Chicago 60680.
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Gruder
authors.forename: R B
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Warnecke
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Jason
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Flay
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Peterson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006266:Health Education / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011380:Programmed Instructions as Topic; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology / Q000628:therapy*; D013690:Television