Effects of an Interactive Smoking Cessation Coaching Program on Smoking in Female College Students

Purpose: This study aimed to examine the effects of an interactive smoking cessation coaching program on smoking cessation motivation, smoking knowledge, smoking shame, urine cotinine levels, tobacco craving and smoking abstinence self-efficacy. The conceptual framework of the study applied Cox’s interaction model of client health behavior for female college students who smoked.Methods: This was a before-and-after experimental design study with a non-equivalent control group. The participants were smoking female college students, who were assigned either to an experimental group (n=22) or a control group (n=24). The interaction model of client health behavior was the theoretical basis. The core tactic of smart management and strategy for health was applied as a coaching technique. The experimental group attended 11 sessions of an interactive smoking cessation coaching program, (60 to 120 minutes per session) for 6 weeks, and the control group received education regarding smoking cessation after the program finished. The data collection period was from January 23, 2019 to March 7, 2019.Results: This study showed differences in smoking cessation motivation (F=71.09, p<.001), smoking knowledge (F=20.77, p<.001), smoking shame (t=5.11, p<.001), urine cotinine levels (t=-9.58, p<.001) and smoking abstinence self-efficacy (t=11.68, p<.001). However, no difference in tobacco cravings (t=-1.57, p=.127) was found.Conclusion: As a result of the interactive smoking cessation coaching program, statistically significant differences were found in smoking cessation motivation, smoking knowledge, smoking shame, urine cotinine levels and smoking abstinence self-efficacy. However, further research is needed because there was no statistically significant difference in tobacco cravings.