Impediment profiling for smoking cessation: Results of a pilot study

Objective. To test the effectiveness of a smoking cessation program based on "impediment profiling," the elucidation of an individual participant's personal barriers, with provision of tailored interventions accordingly. Methods. A literature search was conducted to identify established impediments to smoking cessation. A long impediment profiler (LIP) was developed from validated survey instruments and used as a screening tool to identify individuals' barriers to quitting. Once barriers were identified, participants were assigned to up to seven interventions. Self-reported, smoking cessation was confirmed with measurements of carbon monoxide concentrations in expired air of less than or equal to 10 ppm. Results. Nineteen adults participated in the pilot program. At the year 1 mark, 63.2% of the study population was smoke-free. The mean number of impediments of the study population was 3.5 +/- 1.5. There was a negative association between subjects, quit status and the following impediments: stress (p = .0061), anxiety (p = .0445), and depression (p < .001). No single impediment was predictive of quit status. Conclusions. Impediment profiling as a basis for tailored smoking cessation intervention is associated with a high, quit rate in this initial study, and it appears promising is warranted, as is replication in a larger cohort with a concurrent control group.