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Three-year follow-up survey of smokers who attended 'Good Hearted Glasgow' screening sessions
Objective:
To investigate recall of advice and changes in lifestyle amongst smokers who attended 'Good Hearted Glasgow' screening sessions over three years ago.
Design:
Follow-up survey based on a postal questionnaire. Answers were compared with the information obtained by 'Good Hearted Glasgow' at the time of the screening session.
Setting:
Two general practices in Glasgow.
Subjects:
266 smokers who had attended screening sessions at the two practices over three years ago.
Main Outcome Measures:
Recall of the advice given; changes which the participants have made in relevant aspects of their lifestyle (smoking, alcohol intake, fat intake, weight loss) since the event; how helpful the participants perceived the advice given at the time to have been in encouraging smoking cessation.
Results:
The response rate was 53% (60% female, 42% male). In total, 94% recalled being advised to stop smoking, 77% have attempted to stop smoking and 11% have stopped smoking. Amongst those in the sample who were heavy drinkers at the time, 75% recall being advised to reduce their intake, 56% have attempted to do so and 36% have successfully done so. Amongst those with a raised blood cholesterol concentration, 52% recall it as being high, 68% recalled being advised to reduce their fat intake, 83% have attempted to do so and 53% claim to be on a low fat diet. Of those who were overweight, 68% recalled being advised to loss weight, 77% have attempted to do so and 36% have succeeded in doing so.
Conclusions:
A high proportion of smokers who attended 'Good Hearted Glasgow' screening sessions have attempted to stop smoking three years on but only a small proportion have successfully done so. This compares unfavorably with claimed changes in alcohol intake, fat intake and weight loss.