Features related to smoking and psychological characteristics of coronary artery patients associated with the stage of chagne in smoking cessation

초록

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in smoking related characteristics and psychological features of coronary artery patients by the stages of change in smoking cessation behaviors. Subjects for this survey were 97 patients who were smoking when doctors diagnosed them to have coronary artery diseases. Subjects were all men and their mean age was 55.84 years ranged from 35 to 84 years old. More than half of them had experiences admitted a hospital because of the disease more than once.Subjects routinely started smoking at 22 years old on average. There were not significant differences according to the stages of change in smoking behaviors in the numbers of meeting with the smoking friends and colleagues, numbers of signs and symptoms related to smoking, and nicotine dependence. However, previous attempts to quit smoking among subjects in precontemplation stage were significantly lower than that of subjects in contemplation and preparation stage. Mean benefit score of subjects in maintenance stage was 37.19 and this score was significantly greater than that of subjects in precontemplation stage, 32.52. Self-efficacy score of subjects in contemplation stage was 16.21 and it was the highest score. Self-efficacy score of subjects in precontemplation stage was 13.76 which is the lowest score. The barrier score of precontemplation subjects was 24.05 and it was greater than other subjects who were different stages. Seriousness which the subjects recognized on their diseases was highest in maintenance stage and was lowest in precontemplation stage. However, these differences by the stages of change were not significant. Future intervention programs for smoking cessation of coronary artery patients should be focused on the strategies to enhance subjects’ realization of health benefits that patients might acquire from smoking cessation.