(1) Justification. Tobacco is one of the leading avoidable causes of death and illness today. In addition to the financial burdens, employers are faced with decreased productivity and increased absenteeism, health care and life insurance costs. Increasingly, employers are seeking innovative and effective worksite programs to limit these costs. (2) Objectives. A pilot telephone-based smoking cessation program was implemented at a large grocery retailer/distributor in Maine. The program was designed to test and fine-tune the intervention and the recruitment/marketing strategies. The program sought to enroll fifty participants and develop a model program that could be expanded to other locations. (3) Methods. Participants who were "ready to quit", that is, they were willing to identify a quit date within seven days of calling the program’s toll-free number, received individualized telephone counseling, educational materials, and a reimbursable benefit for the nicotine patch. Participants were counseled over the course of one year. Interviews, policy analysis, a survey, and observations led to the identification of several barriers to participation. (4) Results. The program recruited 44 generally long-term, heavy smokers and produced a six-month quit rate of 30%. Recruitment proved to be more difficult than program staff anticipated due to inherent barriers. Evaluation focused on quit rates, costs and assessment of recruitment and marketing strategies. Outcomes for quit rates and costs were comparable to those previously reported. (5) Significance. Program evaluation yielded findings that have significant implications for cessation program design.
Learning Objectives: 1. Identify barriers to participation in a telephone-based smoking cessation pilot program with diverse worksite settings. 2. Evaluate program design and marketing successes and failures; discuss their implications for smoking cessation program design
Keywords: Smoking, Smoking Cessation
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: MaineHealth
Hannaford Brothers
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.