Smoking cessation at the workplace: 1 year success of short seminars.
OBJECTIVE
In search of less time-consuming methods of smoking cessation Allen Carr' seminars performed at workplaces in Austria were evaluated.


METHODS
Of all the 357 smokers attending a seminar in summer 2002, 308 (86%), consented to participate in a repeated health survey, including the SF-36 questionnaire. After 3 months 268 (87%) gave computer-aided telephone interviews and 223 (72%) after 1 year. Analysis by logistic regression was done separately for males and females.


RESULTS
The 1-year quit rate was 40% (worst case assumption) to 55% (best estimate). In 96% of quitters an intensive counseling for 6 h without pharmaceutical aid thereafter was sufficient to maintain abstinence for 12 months. A long smoking history or many earlier unsuccessful attempts to quit did not predict failure. The risk of relapse was found higher in young men with a high number of pack-years and in women with good physical fitness but high Fagerstroem score and financial reasons for the intention to quit smoking. While an average weight gain of 3 kg in males was not associated with failure to quit smoking, we found the highest weight gain (4 kg) in females in the group abstinent at 3 months but smoking again at 12 months. In all participants subjective life quality scored by SF-36 improved. In quitters perception of general health improved more.


CONCLUSIONS
Group counseling at the workplace was found to be an efficient method of smoking cessation, capable of increasing subjective life quality and health and to smooth the way to smoke-free enterprises.
Hutter
Hp
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Institute of Environmental Health, Center of Public Health, Medical University of Vienna, Kinderspitalgasse 15, 1095, Wien, Austria. manfred.neuberger@univie.ac.at
Moshammer
H
H
Neuberger
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D000328:Adult; D001317:Austria; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006126:Group Processes; D006306:Health Surveys; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015397:Program Evaluation; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace