The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: South Asian smokers, who traditionally have a high underlying presence of heart disease and high cholesterol, diabetes II, blood pressure and obesity were offered a complete range of tests to see if the set quit dates earlier than those who were only offered a CO monitor test.

Methods: Using the parlance of the annual Ministry of Transport (MOT) Test given to check if cars are road worthy, we offered a Health MoT that involved a rapid 3 minutes blood cholesterol and glucose test, a 4 minutes automated blood pressure test, an electronic weight and laser height check (BMI Index on obesity). A brief interevntion was then based upon these numbers and risk factors linked to the Framingham Alogrithm ( 10 year risk of getting a heart attack).

Quantitative and Qualitative methods were used to assess the smoker's motivation and to see if the had set a quit date post this test. This quit date was compared with those who had only recieved a CO monitor test.

Results:

The Health MOT increased the motivational levels of the smokers. They were far more quicker in setting a quit date than those who received a CO test only.

Quit rates at 3 months follow up were high too.