Serving up cessation at the Quit Café

Authors:
Gillian Gould, Tracey Watters and Ricky van der Zwan

Presenter:
Gillian Gould
Senior Research Fellow, Rural Clinical School, University of New South Wales, Coffs Harbour, Australia

Abstract
The Quit Café is a novel intervention on the mid North Coast NSW, a low socioeconomic area, with a high prevalence of smoking. As a monthly support group, designed to cater for one-off attendees and returning participants, its workshop format is tailored to the phases of the quit journey. An initial large group process provides reflection on motivation and sharing of stories. The group splits, according to cessation needs, into café-style sub-groups. New attendees receive in-depth medication information and make a quit plan. Returning participants examine challenging situations to prevent relapse.

64 participants from 2008 – 2009 were surveyed on registration and six months after first attendance. Participants had equal gender distribution. 67% (43/64) attended once and 33% (21/64) came 2 – 8 times. At 6 month follow-up 90% (58/64) were contactable. Of these, 18/64 had quit (28%), 12 of which were CO-verified and the remainder self-reported. Of the 12 CO-verified quitters, 7 were once-only attendees and 5 were returnees. There was a significantly higher verified abstinent rate in males of 75% (9/12) compared to females (p = 0.017 Fisher’s exact test).

A monthly smoking cessation group gives opportunities for both single attendance and continued support, both of which appear to be effective. Male gender is a predictor for success. These data suggest further attention is warranted to ensure females smokers get cessation needs met.

Source of funding: Woodend Foundation

Declaration of interest: none