Evaluation Of A Web-phone Intervention System On Preventing Smoking Relapse

This randomized-controlled-trial aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a web-phone intervention system in preventing smoking relapse. The intervention was based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), incorporated with Motivational Interviewing strategies, and the Two-phase Model. One hundred and sixteen volunteer subjects were recruited from the student smokers name list of a university located in southern Taiwan. They were randomly assigned to three groups with a double-blind principle. The findings are listed as below. After receiving a one-month intensive intervention, the subjects in the experimental group significantly improved on self-efficacy and stage of change toward smoking cessation. After receiving a one-month intensive and a one-month tapering schedule of intervention, the subjects significantly improved on self-efficacy but not on stage of change toward smoking cessation. After receiving one-month intensive check-ups, subjects in control group A significantly improved on self-efficacy and stage of change toward smoking cessation. After receiving a two-month check-up, subjects in control group A significantly improved on self-efficacy but not on stage of change toward smoking cessation. Without receiving any intervention or check-up calls (other than receiving observation calls at weeks 1 and 9), subjects in control group B were not improved either on self-efficacy or on stage of change toward smoking cessation. The subjects' improvement between weeks 1 and 5 can be predicted by the group and school type as a set with 76.2% correctness rate. The subjects' improvement between weeks 1 and 9 can be predicted by age with 82.7% correctness rate. Three figures were drawn in terms of the proportion of each stage of change illustrating that the experimental group improved, the monitoring control group A stayed the same, while the control group B got worse during the 9-week process. Four types of effect size were identified and calculated using the subject's improvement on 5 stages of change scale as the outcome measure. In conclusion, the results on evaluating the WPI system on preventing smoking relapse lent support to the application of IT to the human services. The research results were discussed and the limitations and implications were provided.