The 13th World Conference on Tobacco OR Health

Objective: To outline the strategies undertaken to ensure smoking cessation media campaigns and an associated free phone service, the Quitline, are effective and appropriate for assisting the indigenous population of New Zealand (Mâori) to quit smoking.

Methods: Strategies were developed to ensure Mâori were motivated to make a quitting attempt and call the Quitline. Monitoring of ethnicity of Quitline callers was carried out and an independent cohort study of a stratified sample of 1000 Mâori and 1000 non-Mâori Quitline NRT programme participants was undertaken and in-depth interviews with Mâori were carried out. The cohort was followed up by telephone at three weeks, six months and 12 months to assess effectiveness and appropriateness of the service.

Results: The monitoring of ethnicity of Quitline callers showed that 20% of callers are Mâori compared with 15% in the whole population. The independent evaluators concluded that Mâori callers found the Quitline service was appropriate and there were no significant differences between Mâori and other callers. Mâori accessed the programme and rated the service and the resources highly. In-depth qualitative research with Mâori together with survey data indicate they value the contact with Quitline Advisors highly. This contact with Advisors is also a strong predictor of Mâori quitting success Awareness of the media campaigns was high and the campaigns were viewed as thought-provoking, believable, relevant and likely to motivate a Mâori smoker to quit.