Pre-contemplators and Contemplators as a Disparate Group in Worksite Smoking Cessation Programs

Smoking tobacco is one of the leading causes of preventable death in the United States. Worksites provide opportunities to reach more than 60% of adults in the United States, and some worksites offer smoking cessation. However, almost all cessation programs target those “ready to quit” per the Transtheoretical Model (TTM), although 80% of smokers are not ready. This review examined disparities in smoking cessation interventions and presents a theory-based model for a worksite intervention for contemplators (PC) and contemplators (C). Using keywords, 132 articles were through PubMed, ScienceDirect, and Cochrane; of these, 23 research articles and 1 review article were relevant. Research suggests that stage-tailored interventions can reduce employee resistance, stress, and time to the next stage. PC/C are not targeted because it takes a long time to see movement to a higher stage, while employers want to see success and more immediate return on investment. Based on the TTM, interventions developed for PC/C should target cognitive processes (e.g., reasons for smoking and advantages of and motivations for quitting) rather than behavioral, and be of longer duration but less intensity than interventions for smokers ready to quit.