Boosting efficacy of nurse-led stop smoking interventions with a quit and win contest: pilot study results.

BACKGROUND: Grave disparities in smoking prevalence exist between indigenous Maori, Pacific Island peoples, and other New Zealanders. Primary care nurses routinely provide brief stop smoking interventions to achieve national targets but they are constrained by time. Innovations using new technologies offer opportunities to enhance brief interventions and improve uptake and outcomes. Objectives/Aims/Hypotheses: This study explored the feasibility of adding a novel scratch card and internet-based, quit and win contest with mobile phone support messages, to practice nurses' brief smoking cessation interventions. DESIGN: Pragmatic exploratory mixed methods pilot study comprising a quantitative two-group comparison and qualitative interviews. METHODS: In two intervention clinics, practice nurses added supportive mobile phone messages, novelty scratch cards to win online prizes and $1000 prize draw entry following 1 month smokefree, to routine brief stop smoking interventions. In three control clinics, patients who smoked received brief stop smoking interventions only. Practice nurses collected baseline and 1-month data describing patients' smoking status, quit attempts, and cessation support. Researchers conducted qualitative interviews with two nurses and ten patients and collected 3-month data. RESULTS: Five primary care clinics recruited 67 smokers (37 intervention; 30 control). The contest was readily incorporated into nurses' practice. It appealed to nurses and Maori and Pacific Island patients, increased time to first cigarette, and attracted first time quitters. However, it had no extra effect on smoking cessation compared with usual care. Pacific Island patients' participation in the online elements was limited by low access to the internet. CONCLUSIONS: While the exploratory study did not indicate the potential for triggering mass quitting, reduced dependency was suggested. The intervention attracted Maori and Pacific Island smokers and engaged first time quitters. Low cost, novelty activities could be used to refresh routine brief stop smoking interventions, and to motivate practice nurses to engage more smokers in quitting.

Gender convergence in alcohol consumption and related problems: issues and outcomes from comparisons of New Zealand survey data.

AIMS: This paper aims to compare women's and men's alcohol consumption patterns and alcohol-related problems in New Zealand in 1995 and 2000, by age groups. Secondary aims are to consider the findings in relation to debates on the gender convergence hypothesis regarding the link between gender convergence in alcohol consumption and possible explanations, such as social role convergence and policy changes. DESIGN: Data were collected in two general population surveys conducted in New Zealand in 1995 (n = 4232) and 2000 (n = 5113) using the same questionnaire. MEASUREMENTS: Quantity consumed on a typical drinking occasion, volume of absolute alcohol consumed per annum, proportions drinking 20+ litres per annum, proportion of total consumption consumed in heavy drinking occasions, frequency of consumption, proportion who drink enough to feel drunk at least once a week, proportions reporting three or more alcohol-related problems and attitudes to intoxication. FINDINGS: Evidence for gender convergence was found across a range of measures of alcohol consumption and alcohol-related problems. In the 20-39-year age group quantities of alcohol consumed on a typical occasion and the related measures of volume, drunkenness and problems all showed convergence. In the groups over 40 years of age convergence occurred in relation to frequency of drinking. In the groups below 20 years, which consumed relatively high quantities and where the differences in consumption between gender groups were relatively small, further convergence did not occur. CONCLUSIONS: Gender convergence took place in New Zealand from 1995 to 2000.

Superhealth basic: Development and evaluation of a low-cost community-based lifestyle change programme.

This research describes the development and evaluation of a community-based lifestyle change health promotion programme in New Zealand. The six-week small group programme, called Superhealth Basic, comes as a low-cost resource kit capable of widespread distribution in the community. It is based on a combination of health and community psychology principles and methods, and is designed to be run by untrained lay leaders. A quasi-experimental trial involving 141 participants in 19 groups produced results showing significant positive changes in behaviour, health and wellbeing, with a high level of participant satisfaction and low dropout rates. At 12-month follow-up, the benefits of the programme were found to have been maintained with continuing expression of satisfaction with the programme. As a result of this research, Superhealth Basic is now available as a community resource throughout New Zealand.