The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: In the year 2004 approximately 19% of Swedish women smoked compared to 33% of women with a short education. In this study we wanted to investigate if smoking cessation in combination with a personal health profile would give a better result than just smoke cessation in a group of short educated women. The University Hospital MAS in Sweden is a smoke free hospital. Among the persons who have participated in the smoke cessation programs were few short educated women.

Methods: An invitation was sent out to employees who had short education. A group of 29 women applied their interest. The women were between 29 and 60 years of age. They were all given a personal health talk with health profile and were divided in smoke cessation groups. A total of 14 women finished the whole class. A control group of 30 women that earlier had participated in a smoke cessation group were used as a control.

Results: The result showed that seven of the fourteen women who had combined personal health profile and finished the smoke cessation group were smoke free after 6 months. In the control group 15 of the 30 women were smoke free after six months. An edition of a personal health profile was appreciated by the women and possibly it gave them other health benefits. Smoke cessation in group is a possible way for support and help to this large group of smokers. The problem is to get them interested in smoke cessation