Implementation of an Online Smoking Cessation Program among Corporate Employees: Method and Challenges

Description

Page: 216-221

Jini K. Gopinath and Puneet Manuja (YourDOST – Online Counselling and Emotional Wellness Coach, Bangalore, Karnataka)

Cigarette smoking is on the rise, especially among the working population. According to the Global Adult Tobacco Survey 2016 -2017, one in every ten adults in India smoke tobacco. Smoking is associated with increased risk for heart disease, lung diseases, several types of cancer, tuberculosis, problems associated with the immune system, and dependency gives rise to chronic health issues that disrupt the quality of life of individuals. While several psychological interventions for substance use have been implemented in an individual as well as a group setting, there exists a pressing need to tailor the interventions based on the cultural and professional environment. The paper recognizes the harmful effects of smoking among corporate employees (N= 29) and assesses the implementation and challenges of the 6-week online program on smoking cessation. The study design follows a pre-post design. Week 0 focussed on orientation, while the remaining 5 weeks focussed on intervention directed at motivation, cue control, and urge control. The framework used for intervention relied on the Behavioural Therapy Model and Protective Motivation Theory as a foundation. Wilcoxon Signed Rank test results indicate a Z score of -4.72, showing a significant decrease in cigarette consumption among the individuals who completed the program. The total number of cigarettes consumed across the sample dropped from 188 to 54 from the commencement to the end of the program. Future goals involve carrying out follow-ups to determine the program’s impact over a longer term, along with variable testing.