Abstract of ICBM 2002 in HELSINKI

Smoking cessation program using the Internet Outline of the program to continue quitting

Yuko Takahashi¹⁾ Akiko Higashiyama²⁾ Hideshi Miura³⁾ Atsuhiko Ota⁴⁾

1) Nara Womens University , Center of Preventive Medicine
2) School of Human Cultures, University of Shiga Prefecture
3) NEC Nexsolution co., ltd.
4) Kochi University Department of Public Health

1) Nara Womens University, Kita-uoyamachi, Nara, 630-8506 Japan
Email: takahashi@cc.nara-wu.ac.jp

Yuko Takahashi1)

Hideshi Miura3)

The age distribution of the participants were compatible to that of the internet users in Japan.

Among heavy smokers with a nicotine dependence score of 7 or higher, we have found no significant difference in quit rates at one year out. This shows that the No-Smoking Marathon is not only successful with smokers with light nicotine dependency, but also with the heavily dependent, which other program might have difficulty with.

We have found significant difference in quit rates at one year out(P<0.01 IFisher’s exact probability test ) between the participants who took in part in STEP 2 program and not. This shows that the Step 2 programs in No-Smoking Marathon might have be effective to continue quitting.

We have found significant difference in quit rates at one year out(P<0.05 IFisher’s exact probability test ) between the participants who used NRT.

Introduction

Since 1997 we have been running the internet mediated health support for quitting aiming for to have smokers quit for the rest of their lives ; the Smoking Cessation Marathon. The 1 year quitting rate is 47-75% of the participants who had registered. We describe here the outline of the program to continue quitting(Step2)

Outline of the program

The main structure of the program was to support participants by emails from the other participants who had successfully quit in earlier programs. Over the Internet, we recruit around a hundred smokers who want to quit. Participants were expected to quit from the first day of the program for one year. The program consisted of three components: The program to start quitting (4weeks) named STEP 1, the maintenance program for those who have passed through the introductory program( STEP2 ) and the program to be e-smokers for all their life(STEP 3).
The second step program ( STEP2) included (1)educating programs to support other smokers to quit in the subsequent programs (2) programs for weight gain (3) monthly self report (4) off-line meetings (5) mail service to consult medical problems to physicians. In the third program(STEP3) participants willingly help in running the program.

Methods

The smoking status on the final day of the program were checked by three methods ; email self-report, telephone call to their families or co-workers and mail.

Results

After one year from the registration of the 7th and 8th marathon program, we followed up 194 participants and checked their smoking status but could not follow 37 mainly because of the participants transference with removal The 1 year quitting rate is 63.6% of the participants who had registered and 75.8% we followed by usual method.

Among heavy smokers with a nicotine dependence score of 7 or higher, we have found no significant difference in quit rates at one year out.
We have found significant difference in quit rates at one year out(P<0.01 IFisher’s exact probability test ) between the participants who took in part in STEP 2 program and not 1.

Discussions

We have run the program 10 times since its inception in 1997, 1383 smokers participated. The one year quit rates of the program were ranged from 47% ( the 1st in 1997 ) to 75% ( the 6th in 2000 ). Since the end of the 3rd program, we have maintained a quit rate of at least 60% among all participants registered. These levels are relatively high, and better than the results achieved from face-to-face anti-smoking instructional programs, including outpatient program conducted in Japan.

The success rate of heavy smokers shows that our program is successful not only with smokers with light nicotine dependency, but also with the heavily dependent, which other program might have difficulty with.
The significant difference between the participants who took in part in STEP 2 and not may suggests the Step 2 programs in No-Smoking Marathon might have be effective to continue quitting.

The progress of the supporting systems to the participants and the supporting members might be the reason for the results .

Conclusion

Our internet- based health support system was suggested to be effective not only in initiating but maintaining quitting smoking.