Outcomes and adherence in Syria's first smoking cessation trial
Taghrid Asfar1, Mark Vander Weg, Wasim Maziak
1Smoking Cessation Intervention Program, Syrian Center for Tobacco Studies, Aleppo, Syria.
Objective:
To determine the feasibility of implementing cessation interventions in Syria.
Methods:
We randomized 50 smokers to either a brief or intensive behavioral cessation intervention. Adherence to treatment and cessation through 3 months postcessation were calculated.
Results:
Adherence in the intensive group was only moderate and was associated with smoking for more years and higher self-efficacy. Cessation rates in the brief and intensive intervention groups were 16% and 4%, respectively. Nicotine dependence predicted abstinence at 3 months.
Conclusion:
Important barriers to cessation included perceived dependence, lack of access to pharmacotherapy, poor social support, and water pipe smoking.