Effect of a Smoking Cessation Motivational Program for Adolescents

PURPOSE: In this study an examination was done of the effects of a adolescent smoking cessation motivational program on smoking temptation, internal motivation, stage of smoking cessation and quit rate. The study was done with a nonequivalent control group pretest-posttest design. METHODS: Participants in the experimental group were adolescents who smoked and were referred to the program by their high school teachers. They participated in the smoking cessation motivational program for 60 minutes per session, once or twice a week for six weeks. Participants in the control group were selected from the same age group within the school and the program was provided after the posttest was completed. t-test, Mann-Whitney test, and chi2-test were used to analyze data. RESULTS: The level of smoking temptation, internal motivation and stage of smoking cessation had significant change in comparison to the pretest whereas the control group did not exhibit these changes. CONCLUSION: The results of the study indicate that a smoking cessation motivational program for adolescents is an effective strategy to increase smoking cessation motivation in adolescents, and can be utilized as an effective intervention for adolescents who smoke.

Effects of Knowledge and Recognition of Alcohol Use during Pregnancy on Actual Alcohol Use during Pregnancy

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to explore the influence in a planned pregnancy of alcohol related family variables, knowledge and recognition of the effects of alcohol use during pregnancy on actual alcohol use during pregnancy. METHODS: The participants were 284 women who had experienced a pregnancy at some time in their lives. The data were collected from December 2011 to January 2012 and the method of data collection was self-report questionnaires. The instruments for this study were AUDIT-K, Knowledge of alcohol use during pregnancy, and Recognition of alcohol use during pregnancy. RESULTS: There were higher incidences of alcohol use during pregnancy when alcohol consumption was a problem, when there was a family member with an alcohol problem, or after having had an artificial abortion. There was no correlation in alcohol use during pregnancy with knowledge, but a correlation with recognition was found. CONCLUSION: The results of this study suggest that the main factor in alcohol use during pregnancy is recognition of the effects of alcohol use during pregnancy.