Smoking cessation advice from health professionals: process evaluation of a community-based program.
The study assessed whether exposure to advice to quit smoking from health care professionals was greater in North Karelia, an area with a community-based, long-term intervention integrated within the health care structure, than in the rest of Finland. Data were collected by health behavior surveys during 1978-1995. Adult regular smokers and those who had quit during the preceding 12 months were surveyed. We measured exposure to cessation advice by questioning, whether the person had been advised by a doctor or public health nurse to give up smoking at least once during the year preceding the survey. Men from the intervention area had a significantly higher likelihood of having been advised to quit than those elsewhere in Finland. The same trend emerged among women, but it was not significant. It is concluded that a community-based intervention program can encourage health professionals to increase their smoking cessation advice.
National Public Health Institute, Department of Epidemiology and Health Promotion, Helsinki, Finland. tellervo.korhonen@ktl.fi
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Korhonen
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Uutela
H J
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Korhonen
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Urjanheimo
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Puska
D000328:Adult; D003153:Community Health Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003376:Counseling / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D005387:Finland; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010043:Outcome and Process Assessment, Health Care; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention