Randomized controlled trial on the effect of Al-Quran recitation vs counseling on smoking intensity among Muslim men who are trying to quit smoking

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Nicotine cravings and withdrawal symptoms are associated with higher rates ofrelapse. It has been shown that combining behavioral therapy and pharmacotherapy leads to ahigher long-term abstinence rate in those who quit smoking. Al-Quran recitation has been provento reduce anxiety among athletes before tournaments and pulse and heart rates among patientsawaiting cardiac operations. As most of the patients who wish to stop smoking experience highanxietystates, we postulate that Al-Quran recitation will also able to reduce craving among smokersattempting to quit smoking.Methods: Fifty smokers from an outpatient clinic were randomly assigned to control andintervention groups. They were taught different ways of coping with smoking urges, i.e., counselingusing the 12’M’ method (control group) versus Al-Quran recitation (intervention group). Theymet for four consecutive weeks of counselling and to fill out a withdrawal scale. Carbon monoxide(CO) levels were tested at baseline and at week 4. At week 12, the number of cigarettes smoked wasmeasured again. The decrease in the number of cigarettes considered to be clinically significant forthe calculation of sample size was based on expert opinionResults: The reduction in the number of cigarettes smoked was 7 cigarettes in the counsellinggroup and 9 cigarettes in Al-Quran recitation group over 12 weeks duration. There was astatistically significant difference in the number of cigarettes smoked between the groups. Therewas also a statistically significant difference in the change in cravings between the groups at week 4(p-value= 0.005). However, the difference in the changes in CO levels between the two groups wasnot statistically significant.Conclusion: Al-Quran recitation produced a statistically significant reduction in the numberof cigarettes smoked at week 12 and a significant change in cravings at week 4 among smokersattempting to quit. Difference in smoking abstinence rates was not measured in this study.