COMPUTERISED TAILORED SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAMMES: A NEW PROMISING STRATEGY TO MOTIVATE SMOKERS TO QUIT

SS 13.30-15.00 Special sessions

COMPUTERISED TAILORED SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAMMES: A NEW PROMISING STRATEGY TO MOTIVATE SMOKERS TO QUIT

AUTHORS: H DeVries, A Dijkstra, M Willemsen, J Rooijackers, M Manders
INSTITUTION: Dept. of Health Education and Promotion, University of Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands

As part of the ABC-Cancer Prevention Research Programme new strategies have been developed to motivate smokers to quit smoking. The present paper reports about a series of studies that were developed using computerised tailored messages to motivate smokers to quit smoking.

The goal of computerised tailored messages is to provide smokers with information that is relevant for them and fits within their motivational stage to quit smoking. The strategy uses the responses of a questionnaire to develop personalised letters for smokers. The theoretical basis for developing the letters is a combination of theories, such as the social learning theory, the stages of change theory and the theory of reasoned action; these theories are integrated in the so-called Attitude-Social Influence-Self-efficacy model.

The results of a series of experiments will be discussed to show the effectiveness of computerised tailoring, since the studies showed significant differences with groups that did not receive computerised tailored interventions. Some of the experiments addressed the general public of smokers, while others addressed a harder to reach group: The group of precontemplators.

It is concluded that computerised tailoring can be a new and interesting strategy to enhance smokers to quit smoking.

Smoke Free Europe Conference Abstracts - 19 SEP 1996

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