Evaluation of the "Time to Quit" self-help smoking cessation program.

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Nursing Education
• Tobacco Control

Background:

• Nurses have frequent contact with smokers, presenting an opportunity for smoking cessation interventions.
• Developing effective, nurse-led smoking cessation programs is crucial for public health.
• Evaluating self-help cessation programs and training nursing students are key research areas.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the effectiveness of the "Time to Quit" (TTQ) self-help smoking cessation program delivered one-to-one.
• To evaluate a smoking cessation training program for baccalaureate nursing students.
• To determine the impact of nurse-administered interventions on smoking cessation rates.

Main Methods:

• 307 smokers were recruited by nursing students and randomly assigned to receive either community resources (control) or resources plus the TTQ program.
• Interventions were assessed using self-reported smoking status and cotinine levels at baseline, six weeks, and nine months.
• Nursing students received specific training on smoking cessation techniques.

Main Results:

• Smokers receiving the TTQ intervention showed a greater reduction in smoking at the six-week follow-up compared to controls.
• No significant differences in smoking cessation or reduction rates were observed between groups at the nine-month follow-up.
• Participating nursing students reported positive learning experiences and demonstrated significantly higher knowledge scores.

Conclusions:

• The TTQ program may offer short-term benefits for smoking reduction when delivered by nurses.
• Long-term smoking cessation effectiveness of this nurse-administered intervention requires further investigation.
• Training nursing students in smoking cessation techniques enhances their knowledge and preparedness for public health roles.