TO INVESTIGATE THE EFFICACY OF SPIROMETRY AS A MOTIVATIONAL TOOL FOR QUITTING SMOKING

Abstract

Background: The issue of tobacco usage is crucial to the field of general healthcare. Spirometry results might be shown to the smoker to show potential lung function degradation in order to improve smoking cessation guidance. The estimation of "lung age" may indicate a decline in lung function brought on by smoking. It has been suggested that using spirometry to demonstrate the harmful effects of smoking in people who smoke but are asymptomatic. Long-term smokers frequently find quitting to be very difficult, and both motivation and persistence are needed. Smokers must first make the decision that they wish to stop smoking in order to succeed. Nicotine replacement therapies, the administration of drugs that lessen cigarette cravings, joining stop-smoking support groups, and other approaches can all help smokers quit. This study's objective was to ascertain whether spirometry has an impact on the rates of smoking cessation.

Aim: The aim of the study is to study the effectiveness of spirometry as a motivational tool for smoking cessation.

Material and Method:

The Department of Respiratory Medicine oversaw the execution of this randomized controlled experiment. To determine the impact of including a spirometry intervention in our conventional smoking cessation program on the cessation rate, we conducted a randomized controlled study (RCT). Participants were divided into two groups, with the only difference being which group received an intervention that included a pulmonary function test (PFT) and a report of the results. Patients who came to the clinic for whatever reason were asked about their smoking habits, and they were offered to participate in the study after being informed about it. Participants were smoker adults (age>=18) selected among patients who attended the SCC. Spirometry was required of smokers who gave their permission. A computer generates the random number series.

Results: A total of 260 patients participated in the study. Before being randomly assigned to the groups, 10 were excluded due to failure to perform baseline spirometry despite repeated requests. The remaining 250 patients participated in the study; 130 were assigned to the control group and 120 to the study group. Participants were essentially men (88%). The majority of participants were active workers (60%), 12.8% unemployed, and a notable proportion of students (10.4%). When asked about having current familial and professional issues, 40% and 40% responded positively. There was no significant difference between study arms within any of the sociodemographic characteristics.

Conclusion: In addition to all that has already been mentioned, this calls for the medical corps to be driven to seek out and use whatever tool at their disposal that can aid in the fight against this scourge of global health. This supports conclusions that were made using spirometry as an independent variable in earlier investigations. In the studied Belgian general practice, the "minimal intervention strategy" for smoking cessation had a high success rate. The ability of doctors to provide smoking cessation advice in routine primary care was significantly improved by a brief training program.

Keywords: Smoking Cessation, Motivation, Spirometry and Screening