title: Showing smokers with vascular disease images of their arteries to motivate cessation: a pilot study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To examine the potential impact of visual personalized biomarker feedback on intention to stop smoking and to evaluate possible underlying causal pathways.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study is a pilot for a randomized controlled trial. Outcome measures were assessed immediately after the intervention and at 4 weeks follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-three smokers attending a cardiovascular outpatient clinic in London were randomly allocated to one of two groups: to either receive a print-out of an ultrasound image of their carotid artery showing atherosclerotic plaque alongside an image of a disease-free artery, or to receive routine verbal feedback.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The intervention significantly increased perceptions of susceptibility to smoking-related diseases (Cohen's h=0.99) and led to increases both in engagement in smoking cessation behaviours (Cohen's h=0.79) and intentions to stop smoking (Cohn's d=0.44). The latter was moderated by self-efficacy: the intervention increased intention to stop smoking only in people with higher levels of self-efficacy with regard to stopping smoking.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study provides preliminary support for the potential effectiveness of personalized biomarker feedback to increase intentions to stop smoking. It also highlights the need to target and increase self-efficacy in smoking cessation interventions.
authors: Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK. lion.shahab@ucl.ac.uk
authors: Lion
authors: L
authors: Shahab
authors: Sue
authors: S
authors: Hall
authors: Theresa
authors: T
authors: Marteau
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D050197:Atherosclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000517:prevention & control; D016893:Carotid Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006801:Humans; D008131:London; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D020377:Self Efficacy; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D014463:Ultrasonography