Health Research Governance Department, Ministry of Public Health, Doha P.O. Box 42, Qatar.
Public Health Department, Ministry of Public Health, Doha P.O. Box 42, Qatar.
Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 8;19(24):16509. doi: 10.3390/ijerph192416509.
The steady increase in smoking rates has led to a call for wide-reaching and scalable interventions for smoking cessation in Qatar. This study examined the feasibility and acceptability of an evidence-based smoking cessation program delivered by telephone for Qatari residents. A total of 248 participants were recruited through primary care centers and received five weekly scheduled proactive behavioral counseling calls from personnel trained in tobacco cessation and navigation to obtain cessation pharmacotherapy from clinics. Outcomes were assessed at end of treatment (EOT), and 1- and-3-month follow up. The Mann-Whitney test was used to compare the average number of participants recruited per month pre- and post-COVID. We recruited 16 participants/month, the majority (85.5%) attended at least one counselling session, and 95.4% used some of pharmacotherapy. Retention rates were 70% at EOT, 64.4% and 71.7% at 1- and 3-month follow up, respectively; 86% reported being 'extremely satisfied' by the program. Our ITT 7-day point prevalence abstinence was 41.6% at EOT, 38.4% and 39.3% at 1-and 3-month, respectively. The average number of participants recruited per month was significantly higher for pre vs. post-COVID (18.9 vs. 10.0, -value = 0.02). Average number of participants retained at EOT per recruitment month showed a slight decrease from 8.6 pre- to 8.2 post-COVID; average number who quit smoking at EOT per recruitment month also showed a decrease from 6 to 4.6. The study results indicated that our telephone-based intervention is feasible and acceptable in this population and presents a new treatment model which can be easily disseminated to a broad population of Qatari smokers.
吸烟率的稳步上升促使人们呼吁在卡塔尔开展广泛和可扩展的戒烟干预措施。本研究旨在检验通过电话向卡塔尔居民提供基于证据的戒烟方案的可行性和可接受性。总共招募了 248 名参与者，他们通过初级保健中心招募，并接受了来自接受过烟草戒断和导航培训的人员进行的五次每周计划的主动行为咨询电话，以从诊所获得戒烟药物治疗。在治疗结束时（EOT）以及 1 个月和 3 个月的随访时评估结果。使用 Mann-Whitney 检验比较 COVID 前后每月平均招募参与者的数量。我们每月招募 16 名参与者，大多数（85.5%）至少参加了一次咨询，95.4%使用了一些药物治疗。EOT 时的保留率为 70%，1 个月和 3 个月时分别为 64.4%和 71.7%；86%的人报告对该计划“非常满意”。我们的 ITT 7 天点预辍率在 EOT 时为 41.6%，在 1 个月和 3 个月时分别为 38.4%和 39.3%。COVID 前后每月平均招募参与者的数量差异具有统计学意义（18.9 比 10.0，-值=0.02）。EOT 时每个招募月保留的参与者人数略有减少，从 COVID 前的 8.6 人减少到 COVID 后的 8.2 人；EOT 时每个招募月戒烟的人数也从 6 人减少到 4.6 人。研究结果表明，我们的基于电话的干预措施在该人群中是可行且可接受的，并提出了一种新的治疗模式，可以轻松推广到卡塔尔广大烟民群体。
