Effects of Smoking Cessation Counseling Based on the Stages of Change Model in a Dental School Setting: A Semi-Experimental Study

Abstract

Objectives The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of smoking cessation counseling by a dentist on the smokers’ preparation for change to quit smoking. Methods This study was performed on 150 smokers, admitted to the Dental School of Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran. The patients were randomly divided into two groups of 75 participants. The intervention group received smoking cessation counseling by a single senior dental student for 30 min session. The patient’s status in the stages of change was determined at baseline and after the intervention. For statistical analysis, paired t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and multivariate linear regression analysis were performed at a significance level of P<0.05. Results At baseline, there were no significant differences between the intervention and control groups in terms of the stage of change for smoking cessation. Also, there was no significant difference in the stages of change in the control group between the baseline and one-month follow-up. However, this difference was significant in the intervention group (P=0.006). In other words, the number of patients in the pre-contemplation stage decreased by 43%, the number of patients in the contemplation stage increased by 20%, and the number of patients in the action stage increased by 16%. Conclusion It can be concluded that smoking cessation counseling enhances a person’s forward movement and transition through the stages of change for smoking cessatio