Evaluation of the Quit and Win contest for smoking cessation in the Islamic Republic of Iran

ABSTRACT

Quit and Win is an international biannual smoking cessation contest. Although more than 70 countries participate, few are from the Eastern Mediterranean Region. This study evaluated 4 Quit and Win campaigns in Isfahan province, Islamic Republic of Iran, from 1998 to 2004, documenting participation rates, self-reported 1-month and 1-year abstinence rates and related factors. Participation rates among smokers ranged from 0.7%-2.4% of the smokers in Isfahan. One-month quit rates varied from 41.8% in 1998 to 92.8% in 2004. At 1-year follow-up, self-reported quit rates varied from 22.5% in 1998 to 91.2% in 2004. This model was found to be feasible and successful in our community, and can be implemented in other low-and middle-income countries