title: An evaluation study of a gender-specific smoking cessation program to help Hong Kong Chinese women quit smoking.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a lack of population-based smoking cessation interventions targeting woman smokers in Hong Kong, and in Asia generally. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a gender-specific smoking cessation program for female smokers in Hong Kong.
  
  
  METHODS
  To evaluate the effectiveness of the service, a total of 457 eligible smokers were recruited. After the baseline questionnaire had been completed, a cessation counseling intervention was given by a trained counselor according to the stage of readiness to quit. Self-reported seven-day point prevalence of abstinence and reduction of cigarette consumption (≥50 %) and self-efficacy in rejecting tobacco were documented at one week and at two, three and six months.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 7-day point prevalence quit rate was 28.4 % (130/457), and 21.9 % (100/457) had reduced their cigarette consumption by at least 50 % at the six-month follow-up. The average daily cigarette consumption was reduced from 8.3 at baseline to 6.3 at six months. Moreover, both internal and external stimuli of anti-smoking self-efficacy increased from baseline to six months.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study provides some evidence for the effectiveness of the gender-specific smoking cessation program for female smokers. Furthermore, helping smokers to improve their self-efficacy in resisting both internal and external stimuli of tobacco use can be a way of enhancing the effectiveness of a smoking cessation intervention.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, 4/F, William M. W. Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. william3@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Ho Cheung William
authors.initials: HC
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, 4/F, William M. W. Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. nssophia@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Sophia Siu Chee
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, 4/F, William M. W. Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. wanzoe@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Zoe Siu Fung
authors.initials: ZS
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong, 4/F, William M. W. Mong Block, 21 Sassoon Road, Pokfulam, Hong Kong, China. mpwang@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Man Ping
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China. hrmrlth@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Tai Hing
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D044466:Asian People; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D005783:Gender Identity; D015438:Health Behavior; D006293:Health Promotion; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D020377:Self Efficacy; D057566:Self Report; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*