Efectividad de la intervención terapéutica grupal en cesación tabáquica en usuarios del Instituto Nacional del Tórax

Abstract

Introduction: Only 30% of the world’s population accesses smoking cessation treatments, and in Chile, the Chilean National Thoracic Institute (INT) is a reference center in this area. This research aims to evaluate the effectiveness of group therapeutic intervention in smoking cessation users of the INT between 2014 and 2019. Methods: A quasi-experimental quantitative design was used on 134 smokers who entered the intervention at the INT between 2014 and 2019 and met the study’s inclusion criteria. The intervention consisted of multicomponent therapy, with the drug Varenicline and cognitive behavioural treatment; group sessions once a week for eight consecutive weeks; telephone support between sessions; follow-up in the first, third and sixth months after the intervention. At the end of the intervention, abstinence, smoking cessation and treatment adherence were evaluated. Descriptive analyses and multivariate linear and logistic regression analyses were performed with STATA statis- tical software. The Scientific Ethics Committee of the Eastern Metropolitan Health Service approved the study. Results: 61% of the study participants were women, with a mean age of 58 years, mean IPA 36, motivation to quit smoking high at 79%, Stage of change 71% in contemplation, 78% with psy- cho-emotional state without pathology, 41% with COPD. Smoking cessation was 52.6% six months after treatment. The relationship between adherence to the intervention and smoking cessation was significant in men (OR 2.7; 95% CI 1.2-6.3, p-value 0.02). Adherence to the intervention is significantly involved with smoking abstinence at the end of treatment, regardless of sex and age (OR 34.4; 95% CI: 5.9-199, p-value < 0.001); however, this relationship was not maintained at the follow-up of the first, third and sixth months. Conclusions: The smoking cessation program is effective in reducing tobac- co consumption. However, post-intervention strategies are required to maintain cessation over time. The relationship between smoking cessation and adherence is strongly influenced by sex, with women achieving less smoking cessation and showing more significant addiction to nicotine.