Effects of smoking cessation intervention combined with deep breathing relaxation on nicotine withdrawal symptom, smoking urge, and smoking relapse among surgical patients
Abstract:
The purpose of this quasi-experimental research was to compare the effects of smoking cessation intervention combined with deep breathing relaxation versus conventional smoking cessation program on nicotine withdrawal symptom, smoking urge, and smoking relapse among surgical patients. Forty subjects who met the inclusion criteria and were admitted for emergency surgery at Suratthani Hospital, Suratthani Province were included in the study. Twenty subjects each were in an experimental group or a control group. The subjects in each group were matched by nicotine addiction level, number of cigarettes smoked per day, and number of efforts made to stop smoking. The control group received conventional smoking cessation program while the experimental group received smoking cessation intervention combined with deep breathing relaxation for three weeks. Research tools included the smoking cessation intervention combined with a deep breathing relaxation program, nicotine dependence assessment, nicotine withdrawal assessment, and smoking urge assessment. The program and questionnaires were tested for reliability and validity. The data was analyzed using frequency, percentage, t-test and chi- square test. The research results can be summarized as follows: 1. At the end of the smoking cessation intervention combined with a deep breathing relaxation, nicotine withdrawal symptom and smoking urge among surgical patients were statistically significantly lower than those before the intervention. 2. Nicotine withdrawal symptom among surgical patients in the experimental group were significantly higher than in the control group. 3. Smoking urge among surgical patients in the experimental group was significantly lower than in the control group. 4. The proportion of smoking relapse in the experimental group was statistically significantly lower than that of the control group (20% versus 75%).