Learning Objectives: Describe the potential role of personal spiritual practice in making future quit attempts.
Abstract: PROBLEM: The relationship between patient spiritual practices and treatment outcomes is receiving greater attention in medicine. Healthcare providers have begun to assess patients' interest in including personal spiritual practice as part of treatment. Spiritual practice is a key element in many interventions for alcohol and other drug dependencies, but has not commonly been included in interventions for tobacco dependence. Little is known about whether smokers believe they would benefit from including spiritual practice in their attempts to quit.
OBJECTIVE: To determine whether personal spiritual beliefs and practices are perceived by smokers as potential resources when making a future quit attempt.
METHODS: Participants were current smokers observed smoking on the Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) campus, who agreed to complete an 11 item staff administered survey of smoking behaviors and spiritual beliefs and were at least 18 years of age.
RESULTS: Of the smokers surveyed to date (n=104) 47% were men and 53% were women. Overall, 86.5% reported having a spiritual practice or belief in a Higher Power, 68.3% thought that calling on a Higher Power would or might help them quit smoking and 69.2% thought it would be or might be helpful for cessation staff to encourage smokers to include personal (smoker's) spiritual practice in making a quit attempt.
DISCUSSION: Preliminary findings suggest that among smokers interviewed at OHSU, the majority are receptive to including their spiritual practice in future quit attempts and believe that including spirituality in cessation programs would be beneficial.
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