Possenti Irene, Scala Marco, Lugo Alessandra, Clancy Luke, Keogan Sheila, Gallus Silvano
Department of Medical Epidemiology, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri IRCCS, Milan, Italy.
Tobacco Free Research Institute Ireland, Focas Institute, Dublin, Ireland.
Tob Prev Cessat. 2023 Sep 29;9:29. doi: 10.18332/tpc/172314. eCollection 2023.
Allen Carr's (AC) method is a pharmacotherapy-free approach to quit smoking that is delivered through seminars, online courses, or in the form of a book. It has gained popularity, but its effectiveness remains controversial due to a lack of scientific evidence. This systematic review aims to provide an updated overview of the current evidence on the effectiveness of the AC method.
We conducted a systematic literature review of all epidemiological studies evaluating the effectiveness of the AC method for smoking cessation, published in PubMed/MEDLINE and Embase up to March 2023.
Among 34 original studies identified through the literature search, six met the inclusion criteria. These studies were published between 2006 and 2020, with sample sizes ranging from 92 to 620 participants. Of the six studies, two did not have a comparison group while four, including two randomized control led trials (RCT), had a comparison group. The included studies showed cessation rates for people who attended the seminars from 19% to 51%. An observational study found an odds ratio (OR) of abstinence for those attending AC single-session seminars of 6.52 (95% confidence interval, CI: 3.10-13.72) compared with controls with no treatment. One RCT found higher quit rates for AC single-session seminars compared with the online Irish National service (OR=2.26; 95% CI: 1.22-4.21). Another RCT reported no significant difference between AC single-session seminars and a specialist stopsmoking service. One single study on patients with head and neck disorders analyzed the effectiveness of reading the AC book, showing no significant results.
The AC seminar may be an effective intervention for smoking cessation. This approach deserves further RCTs with large sample sizes to strengthen the evidence. Scant data are available on the effectiveness of reading the AC book.
艾伦·卡尔（AC）戒烟法是一种无需药物治疗的戒烟方法，通过研讨会、在线课程或书籍的形式提供。它已广受欢迎，但由于缺乏科学证据，其有效性仍存在争议。本系统评价旨在提供关于AC戒烟法有效性的最新证据综述。
我们对截至2023年3月在PubMed/MEDLINE和Embase上发表的所有评估AC戒烟法有效性的流行病学研究进行了系统文献综述。
通过文献检索确定的34项原始研究中，有6项符合纳入标准。这些研究发表于2006年至2020年之间，样本量从92名到620名参与者不等。在这6项研究中，2项没有对照组，而4项（包括2项随机对照试验）有对照组。纳入研究显示，参加研讨会的人的戒烟率在19%至51%之间。一项观察性研究发现，与未接受治疗的对照组相比，参加AC单次研讨会的人戒烟的优势比（OR）为6.52（95%置信区间，CI：3.10 - 13.72）。一项随机对照试验发现，AC单次研讨会的戒烟率高于爱尔兰国家在线戒烟服务（OR = 2.26；95% CI：1.22 - 4.21）。另一项随机对照试验报告称，AC单次研讨会与专业戒烟服务之间没有显著差异。一项针对头颈疾病患者的单一研究分析了阅读AC书籍的有效性，结果未显示出显著差异。
AC研讨会可能是一种有效的戒烟干预措施。这种方法值得进一步开展大样本量的随机对照试验以加强证据。关于阅读AC书籍的有效性，现有数据很少。
