Social Support in Worksite Smoking Cessation: Qualitative Analysis of the EASE Project

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Abstract
Purpose.: Mobilize and study social support in EASE, a worksite smoking cessation program. Design.: Qualitative study of social support in two pilot and two test worksites. Setting.: Collaboration with American Lung Association of eastern Missouri to implement program in 12 companies between 1982 and 1985. Subjects.: Ninety-eight participants in cessation clinics at pilot and test sites and 350 randomly sampled respondents from among all 877 employees at test sites. Intervention.: Steering committees included representatives of management and line employees and tailored the program from plans and materials for program promotion, self-help manuals, and a standard curriculum for a Group Comprehensive Clinic. Measures.: Implementation and participation from project records. Outcomes and perceptions of social support from surveys of employees. Results.: Twelve to 24 months after program initiation, smoking cessation among active participants ranged from 21% to 41%. Consistent with emphasis on promoting support for quitting throughout the worksite, 10% to 25% of nonparticipants were abstinent at follow-ups, exceeding national base rates. Surveys indicated greater importance of social support than of program's procedures or materials and greater benefits of social ties to nonsmokers than to others attempting to quit. Differences among companies in both reported social support for nonsmoking and cessation rates paralleled differences in Steering Committees' activities and organizational support for the program. Conclusion.: Though limited by lack of experimental controls, this qualitative study of active program participants as well as random samples of all employees indicates social support can be a strength of worksite smoking cessation programs.

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