Background and objective: Smoking prevalence in Germany remains high instead of public information and education. Smoke free hospitals are propagated, but frequently the smoking prevalence in hospital staff is even higher than in the general population. The objectives of the study were to determine the prevalence of smoking amongst hospital employees in a German teaching hospital and subsequently to promote and optimise smoking cessation within controlled trial with additional evaluation of mindfulness based stress reduction, supported by a common workplace action.
Patients and methods: A hospital survey was carried out by anonymous questionnaires. Participation in a physician-supervised smoking cessation program with nicotine replacement, brief intervention and, additionally, in a 20-hour stress reduction program over 8 weeks (group B) was offered to all smokers. Primary outcomes were abstinence rates at 3 months, secondary endpoints included abstinence rates at 6 months, cigarette consumption in smokers and expiratory CO-concentration.
Results: Out of 345 employees 296 (86 %) revealed their smoking status, 140 were smokers (47,3 %). 116 of 140 smokers agreed with participation in a smoking cessation program. 53 subjects participated additionally in the stress reduction groups (Group B), 63 subjects wished no additional stress reduction (Group A). Abstinence rates at 3 and 6 months were 38,2 % and 29,7 % for all subjects. Participants with stress reduction showed non-significant higher abstinence rates (3 months: A: 35 % vs. B: 42 % and 6 months: A: 20 % vs. B: 41,2 %), a significant lower CO-concentration and a lower smoking intensity in recurrent smokers.
Conclusion: With a common work place action a substantial part of employees quits smoking. Thus, the study provides support for the active promotion of physician-supervised smoking cessation programs among hospital employees. Supportive mindfulness-based stress reduction may enhance smoking cessation, yet has to be further tested in larger randomised controlled trials.