Abstract
Objective: Using change in interest in ceasing smoking as an indicator, we examined the effectiveness of smoking cessation guidance given during a health check-up.
Methods: In 14,010 subjects (8,812 males, 62.9%; 5,198 females, 37.1%) who had undergone a health check-up both in 2014 and 2015: 1) In order to understand the smoking situation, we analyzed smoking rate by sex, age and occupation and 2) We compared the degree of interest in ceasing smoking in the 2nd year between 113 subjects in a group who received smoking cessation guidance in 2014 (hereafter guidance group) and 964 subjects who did not (hereafter non-guidance group) in order to examine the effectiveness of giving such guidance once a year.
Results: The mean smoking rate was 22.5% (males 30%, females 9.8%). The smoking rate was high in subjects in the 20s to the 40s, and in terms of occupation, it was high in those working in the construction industry, restaurant and hotel industry and wholesale and retail industry. In the comparison of subjects with and without smoking cessation guidance, a significant increase in interest in ceasing smoking was seen in the guidance group in the 2nd year. When the 2 groups were compared in terms of 4 behavior change stages in the 1st year as to whether there was an increase in interest in ceasing smoking in the 2nd year, for the “no interest” stage in year 1, compared with the non-guidance group, there was a significant increase in interest in the guidance group in the 2nd year.
Conclusion: As a significant increase in interest in ceasing smoking was seen in the guidance group as compared with the non-guidance group in the 2nd year, smoking cessation guidance once a year is considered to be effective. While it is important to give smoking cessation guidance to smokers whatever degree of interest they have, there is a particularly high possibility of smoking cessation guidance increasing interest in examinees who are at the no interest stage.
