Study to help students butt out
Forget the patch or Nicorette, a
study conducted by Dr. Jennifer
Irwin, Dr. Don Morrow and Tara
Mantler of the faculty of health sciences
at the University of Western
Ontario is looking to help students
quit their smoking habit by looking
beyond the pack and into their
lives.
The study uses motivational interviewing and co-active coaching methods. Essentially, subjects know what they need to quit, and through the process of interviewing and coaching, they get help finding out exactly what it is they need, explained Mantler.
So instead of being handed instructions on how to quit, a coach will work with the subject to determine the real reasons behind why they smoke. For example, some people say they smoke because they're stressed, so through the interviews and coaching, they figure out the causes of that stress, how to deal with it and then they can tackle quitting.
Mantler conducted the study two years ago with 10 individuals with a 30 per cent success rate. Now they are doing the study again with 48 people to test whether the first study was just an isolated event or whether these methods work. "We're now trying to get significant results," said Mantler.
The inspiration behind the study comes from Mantler's own personal experiences with losing people close to her because of lung cancer. "I empathize with what smokers go through, (that's) what drew me to it. You start something when you're younger and you don't think you'll get addicted," she said.
The methods of motivational interviewing and coaching provide a more individualized way of quitting for the subjects, and most of it is done over the phone.
"When you're talking over the phone, you don't make assumptions because you can't see the person," said Mantler of why some of the subjects enjoy this method more.
The process recognizes that smoking is not just an isolated event for the subject.
"You have to deal with the rest of life," said Mantler, explaining that the co-active coaching sessions approach each individual's situation as "let's get everything in your life in order to enable and empower you to quit."
This method of the coach working with the subject cooperatively can be used to deal with many issues from self-esteem to obesity, a topic Mantler and the team is also looking at.
"It can help with anything (individuals) want to change," she said.
Currently, the team at UWO is recruiting students between 19 to 29 years old who have been smoking for longer than six months and want to quit. They also must be able to speak English fluently. While there is no pay for this study, they are covering the expensive cost of the coaching.
Those participating in the study receive a 10-minute assessment with a research assistant before the nine coaching sessions start, then another assessment once the coaching has finished. The process will then take place again after six months and a year.
For more information and for those interested in participating in the study, they can contact Tara Mantler at tscott22@uwo.ca.
The study uses motivational interviewing and co-active coaching methods. Essentially, subjects know what they need to quit, and through the process of interviewing and coaching, they get help finding out exactly what it is they need, explained Mantler.
So instead of being handed instructions on how to quit, a coach will work with the subject to determine the real reasons behind why they smoke. For example, some people say they smoke because they're stressed, so through the interviews and coaching, they figure out the causes of that stress, how to deal with it and then they can tackle quitting.
Mantler conducted the study two years ago with 10 individuals with a 30 per cent success rate. Now they are doing the study again with 48 people to test whether the first study was just an isolated event or whether these methods work. "We're now trying to get significant results," said Mantler.
The inspiration behind the study comes from Mantler's own personal experiences with losing people close to her because of lung cancer. "I empathize with what smokers go through, (that's) what drew me to it. You start something when you're younger and you don't think you'll get addicted," she said.
The methods of motivational interviewing and coaching provide a more individualized way of quitting for the subjects, and most of it is done over the phone.
"When you're talking over the phone, you don't make assumptions because you can't see the person," said Mantler of why some of the subjects enjoy this method more.
The process recognizes that smoking is not just an isolated event for the subject.
"You have to deal with the rest of life," said Mantler, explaining that the co-active coaching sessions approach each individual's situation as "let's get everything in your life in order to enable and empower you to quit."
This method of the coach working with the subject cooperatively can be used to deal with many issues from self-esteem to obesity, a topic Mantler and the team is also looking at.
"It can help with anything (individuals) want to change," she said.
Currently, the team at UWO is recruiting students between 19 to 29 years old who have been smoking for longer than six months and want to quit. They also must be able to speak English fluently. While there is no pay for this study, they are covering the expensive cost of the coaching.
Those participating in the study receive a 10-minute assessment with a research assistant before the nine coaching sessions start, then another assessment once the coaching has finished. The process will then take place again after six months and a year.
For more information and for those interested in participating in the study, they can contact Tara Mantler at tscott22@uwo.ca.
