Validation of the "SmoCess-GP" instrument - a short patient questionnaire for assessing the smoking cessation activities of general practitioners: a cross-sectional study

Smoking Cessation Counseling in Family Medicine: Changing Patient Perceptions

BACKGROUND

Tobacco use causes significant morbidity and mortality. Although studies show that people who smoke cigarettes are more likely to quit when health care providers recommend cessation, many patients may not perceive that advice was given.

PURPOSE

Using a survey, to determine if a provider visual cue improves patient perception that smoking cessation counseling occurred. Another objective is to evaluate effects on frequency of specific counseling elements.

METHODS

This was a quasi-experimental intervention study with a pre-post test design. The intervention was a quitline reference card attached to the billing form as a prompt for providers to address smoking cessation. The patient survey included 6 elements, each assigned 1 point. The outcomes were the mean survey summary score preintervention compared to postintervention and the distribution of individual elements.

RESULTS

Preintervention, 40 patients who smoke cigarettes completed the survey; 46 patients were enrolled postintervention. The groups were similar, with no significant differences in age, gender, or race/ethnicity. Mean survey summary scores pre- and postintervention were 4.1 and 5.1, respectively (P < .05). Compared with preintervention, more patients perceived the recommendation for a smoking cessation course postintervention (40% vs 83%, P < .05). No significant differences in perceptions of other counseling elements were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Providing a visual cue such as a quitline card is an effective and inexpensive means of prompting a provider to discuss smoking cessation and can be easily integrated into practice. Our results indicate that this strategy improves patient perceptions of counseling with potential to improve community health through education.

The association between active participation in a sports club, physical activity and social network on the development of lung cancer in smokers: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

This study analyses the effect of active participation in a sports club, physical activity and social networks on the development of lung cancer in patients who smoke. Our hypothesis is that study participants who lack social networks and do not actively participate in a sports club are at a greater risk for lung cancer than those who do.

METHODS

Data for the study were taken from the Cologne Smoking Study (CoSmoS), a retrospective case-control study examining potential psychosocial risk factors for the development of lung cancer. Our sample consisted of n = 158 participants who had suffered lung cancer (diagnosis in the patient document) and n = 144 control group participants. Both groups had a history of smoking.Data on social networks were collected by asking participants whether they participated in a sports club and about the number of friends and relatives in their social environment. In addition, sociodemographic data (gender, age, education, marital status, residence and religion), physical activity and data on pack years (the cumulative number of cigarettes smoked by an individual, calculated by multiplying the number of cigarettes smoked per day by the number of years the person has smoked divided by 20) were collected to control for potential confounders. Logistic regression was used for the statistical analysis.

RESULTS

The results reveal that participants who are physically active are at a lower risk of lung cancer than those who are not (adjusted OR = 0.53*; CI = 0.29-0.97). Older age and lower education seem also to be risk factors for the development of lung cancer. The extent of smoking, furthermore, measured by pack years is statistically significant. Active participation in a sports club, number of friends and relatives had no statistically significant influence on the development of the cancer.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of the study suggest that there is a lower risk for physically active participants to develop lung cancer. In the study sample, physical activity seemed to have a greater protective effect than participation in a sports club or social network of friends and relatives. Further studies have to investigate in more detail physical activity and other club participations.

"I did not intend to stop. I just could not stand cigarettes any more." A qualitative interview study of smoking cessation among the elderly

Background

Every year, more than 650,000 Europeans die because they smoke. Smoking is considered to be the single most preventable factor influencing health. General practitioners (GP) are encouraged to advise on smoking cessation at all suitable consultations. Unsolicited advice from GPs results in one of 40-60 smokers stopping smoking. Smoking cessation advice has traditionally been given on an individual basis. Our aim was to gain insights that may help general practitioners understand why people smoke, and why smokers stop and then remain quitting and, from this, to find fruitful approaches to the dialogue about stopping smoking.

Methods

Interviews with 18 elderly smokers and ex-smokers about their smoking and decisions to smoke or quit were analysed with qualitative content analysis across narratives. A narrative perspective was applied.

Results

Six stages in the smoking story emerged, from the start of smoking, where friends had a huge influence, until maintenance of the possible cessation. The informants were influenced by "all the others" at all stages. Spouses had vital influence in stopping, relapses and continued smoking. The majority of quitters had stopped by themselves without medication, and had kept the tobacco handy for 3-6 months. Often smoking cessation seemed to happen unplanned, though sometimes it was planned. With an increasingly negative social attitude towards smoking, the informants became more aware of the risks of smoking.

Conclusion

"All the others" is a clue in the smoking story. For smoking cessation, it is essential to be aware of the influence of friends and family members, especially a spouse. People may stop smoking unplanned, even when motivation is not obvious. Information from the community and from doctors on the negative aspects of smoking should continue. Eliciting life-long smoking narratives may open up for a fruitful dialogue, as well as prompting reflection about smoking and adding to the motivation to stop.