Effectiveness of health education and counseling on stages of change, decisional balance, and smoking cessation self-efficacy: A prospective self-control study

Objective: To examine the effectiveness of health education and counseling on the stages of change, decisional balance, and smoking cessations elf-efficacy in smokers with no intention of quitting. Methods: A prospective self-controlled design was conducted between December 2020 and December 2022. The research period was divided into a control stage (first to fourth weeks) and an experimental stage (fifth to eighth weeks). Patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and habitually smoked were recruited. Pearson correlation and a one-factor repeated-measurement analysis were performed to assess the effectiveness of the intervention. Results: In total, 108 male CAD patients with a mean age of 58.1 years were recruited. After 4 weeks of the intervention, 55 (51%) exhibited behavior change (X ² = 18.03, p = .001). The decisional balance and smoking cessation self-efficacy scores significantly improved in the experimental stage. No significant differences were observed in the control stage. Conclusions: Four weeks of health education and counseling could effectively improve participants’ stage of change, decisional balance, and smoking cessation self-efficacy. Practice implication: Healthcare professionals can play key roles in helping CAD patients successfully quit smoking through individual education and counseling.