Impact of a 20-Minute Counselling Session on Smoking Cessation in an Outpatient Clinic; A Cohort Study

Abstract

Objective: To assess the smoking abstinence rate after a twenty-minutes structured counselling session.

Study Design: Prospective Cohort Study.

Place and Duration of Study: Respiratory Clinic, Pak Emirates Military Hospital, Rawalpindi Pakistan from Jun to Dec 2020.

Methodology: A total of 400 active smokers visiting respiratory clinics were inducted into counselling sessions of twenty-minute duration for a structured smoking cessation counselling advice during which additional information regarding age, motivation status, duration of smoking, previous cessation attempts etc., was also recorded. All candidates were followed by telephone for six months for subject-reported abstinence status.

Results: All the study participants were males between 39 to 64 years of age (mean age: 52.27 ± 4.78 years), of which 23 lost to follow-up, 102 (25.5%) remained quitters successfully, while the remaining 305 candidates relapsed at the end of 6 months. The highest relapse was observed at the end of 3 months, while the lowest relapse rate was observed in the fifth and sixth months since the quit date. Younger age had more odds of successful cessation rate than others (OR=6.13 CI 95%, p<0.001). Those with a motivation score of 8 or more had more probability of abstaining (OR=5.38, CI 95%, p-value=0.001)

Conclusions: The smoking abstinence rate in these counselling sessions was as significant as in other smoking cessation programs. The probability of quitting was more in younger adults and highly motivated ones.