Intervention program to reduce smoking among college age students

Introduction

Tobacco use is the major cause of death in the U.S due to smoking-related diseases such as lung cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  Smoking contributes to 30% of cancer deaths and every year, 440,000 dies from tobacco use.  In the U.S and Canada, the smoking rate is high in young adults due to a variety of factors such as feelings of anxiety, peer pressure, social norms in college, among other factors.  Many interventions have been implemented, such as face-to-face consulting, online intervention programs, health intervention programs, among other applications.  The purpose of this paper is to research the smoking cessation intervention to college students.  These interventions will help young adults and encourage them to stop smoking.

 Intervention Programs

• Online Smoking Cessation Intervention Program

 Online intervention program such as Quitstop is an effective method to support college students stop smoking.  Rather than using traditional interventions, online smoking cessation intervention allow smokers and ex-smokers to exchange social support including informational support (helps smokers improve health) and nurturant support ( helps smokers gains socio-emotional support) (Bingham et al, 2010).  Both types of social support will help smokers achieve physical and psychological well-being.  These kinds of social support are   shared online   between a large numbers of users.  Online intervention program improves social interaction and allow the people from the online community to build confidence, and improve self-esteem.

• Self-help smoking-cessation program

 The purpose of the self-help intervention program is to help smokers overcome smoking one their own.  Health professional or support groups are not involved.  Smokers are provided with a 2-booklet program or written material with student lifestyles, self-quizzes, behavioral exercises, strategies to avoid smoking, among other information (Travis & Lawrance, 2009).  The features and content found in the program are unique in a way that smokers make informed decisions to quit for smoking. 

 

• Mobile phone text-messaging cessation intervention  program

              The program is designed to send text messages through a computer.  Rather than sending a text message from a mobile device to another, the program uses text-messaging websites to send message to smokers (Graha et al, 2009).  The web sites message involves information such as adherence; appoint attendance, among other relevant information.  When an individual receives the message and perceives the information as to quality and helpful, they improve behaviors.  The web-based intervention also allows smokers to improve treatment adherence (Graha et al, 2009).  In general, a web-based cessation programs engage hundreds of thousands of smokers and will enable them to browse the site where they access information and gain support.

 

• Cognitive-behavioral mood management intervention program

            This program is designed to help smokers with depressive symptoms.  Cognitive-behavioral mood management is a cognitive behavioral therapy that deals with smokers thought and behaviors (Schleicher et al, 2012).  Therefore, the program aims at changing the smoker's thoughts and actions and this means that smokers will change thoughts, understand triggers to smoke, develop alternate behaviors, and improve emotional health.

 

• Quit and win contest program

 The primary goals of this program are to motivate smokers to quit smoking and to provide incentives (Thomas et al, 2010).  This means that smokers are unable to quit on their w own and but they want to engage in smoking cessation programs to attempt cessation.  In Quit and win contest program, smokers join the contest and are provided with financial incentives.  The abstinence rate in  Quit and Win contest is 50-70%, and this means that smokers develop abstinence from smoking (Thomas et al, 2010).  During the contest period, smokers are provided with counseling to reduce relapse and increase intrinsic motivation. 

 

 Theory

• Online Smoking Cessation Intervention Program is theory based, and it addresses knowledge in social cognitive theory. The intervention and theory  promotes;
• Social support
• Social interaction
• Share knowledge
• Physical and emotional well-being (DiClemente et al, 2013)

 

 

• Self-help smoking-cessation program addresses perceived self-efficacy in social cognitive theory. The program and the  theory  focus on;
• Smoking cessation through one's capabilities
• self-refection
• evaluate won social-system
• Perception of self-efficacy  (DiClemente et al, 2013).

 

• Mobile phone text-messaging cessation intervention  program addresses  knowledge and at the   theory and  the program focus on
• cost-benefit analysis
• smoking awareness knowledge
• Learns health behavior
• Improves self-efficacy
• Develop health behaviors (DiClemente et al, 2013).

 

• Cognitive-behavioral mood management intervention program is theory-based, and it addresses the outcome expectations. The intervention and theory focus on;
• quit smoking
• improve physical and mental health
• Develop desirable behaviors (DiClemente et al, 2013).

 

• Quit and win contest program addresses the goal formation. An individual believes  that at the end of  the program, he or she will;
• Quit smoking
• Gain a reward (DiClemente et al, 2013).

 Conclusion

 The research finds that smoking contributes to morbidity and mortality among college students.  Effective intervention programs should be developed to help college students address the smoking problem.  Recommended interventions include web-based intervention,   Quit and win contest program, CBT, and Self-help smoking-cessation program.  All these programs will reach large audiences and deliver intervention content.

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

DiClemente, R. J., Salazar, L. F., & Crosby, R. A. (2013). Health behavior theory for public

health: Principles, foundations, and applications. Jones & Bartlett Publishers

 

Graham, A. L., Jacobs, M. A., Cohn, A. M., Cha, S., Abroms, L. C., Papandonatos, G. D., &

Whittaker, R. (2016). Optimising text messaging to improve adherence to web-based

smoking cessation treatment: a randomised control trial protocol. BMJ open, 6(3),

e010687.

 

Schleicher, H., Harris, K. J., Campbell, D., & Harrar, S. (2012). Mood Management Intervention

for College Smokers With Elevated Depressive Symptoms: A Pilot Study. Journal of

American College Health, 60(1), 37–45. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448481.2011.567403

 

Travis, H. E., & Lawrance, K. G. (2009). Randomized Controlled Trial Examining the

Effectiveness of a Tailored Self-Help Smoking-Cessation Intervention for Postsecondary

Smokers. Journal of American College Health, 57(4), 437–444. https://doi.org/10.3200/JACH.57.4.437-444

 

Bingham, C. R., Barretto, A., Walton, M., Bryant, C., Shope, J., & Raghunathan, T. (2010).

Efficacy of a Web-Based, Tailored, Alcohol Prevention/Intervention Program for College

Students: Initial Findings. Journal of American College Health, 58(4), 349–356. https://doi.org/10.1080/07448480903501178

 

 

 

Thomas, J., An, L., Luo, X., Scherber, R., Berg, C., Golden, D., … Ahluwalia, J. (2010).

Abstinence and Relapse Rates Following a College Campus-Based Quit & Win

Contest. Journal of American College Health, 58(4), 365–372. https://doi.org/10.1080/0744848090338026