title: A systematic effort to reduce smoking at the worksite.
abstract: Smoking control is a key element of worksite health promotion. This three-stage study in a large state human services agency included a baseline survey, an assessment of the effects of competition on recruitment to a self-help cessation program, and examination of the outcome of the cessation program. In stage 1, scales for measuring smoking-related attitudes and the social environment were developed and used to study norms for smoking. Regression analysis was used to ascertain correlates of smokers' intentions to quit and to join a self-help program and non-smoker assertiveness. In stage 2, an evaluation using a quasi-experimental design indicated that competition was moderately effective in increasing the recruitment of all employees to the Great American Smoke-Out (70 vs. 17%) and of smokers to a self-help cessation program (28 vs. 6%). In stage 3, the self-reported quit rate at the end of the program was 28% and the biochemically-verified six months' cessation rate was 7%. Efforts are needed to strengthen, using ethical means, the norms for not smoking at the worksite and to increase both the recruitment to and the effectiveness of smoking cessation programs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, University of Texas, Austin 78712.
authors.forename: N H
authors.initials: NH
authors.lastname: Gottlieb
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009786:Occupational Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D010358:Patient Participation; D015995:Prevalence; D012648:Self Care; D012718:Set, Psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012931:Social Environment; D012945:Social Values; D013781:Texas / Q000453:epidemiology