Cell phones may help smokers kick the butt.Byline: ANI Washington, October 7 (ANI): A new review from New Zealand New Zealand (zē`lənd), island country (2005 est. pop. 4,035,000), 104,454 sq mi (270,534 sq km), in the S Pacific Ocean, over 1,000 mi (1,600 km) SE of Australia. The capital is Wellington; the largest city and leading port is Auckland. suggests that cellular phones can help smokers kick the butt. Led by Robyn Whittaker, a public health physician at the University of Auckland Not to be confused with Auckland University of Technology. The University of Auckland (Māori: Te Whare Wānanga o Tāmaki Makaurau) is New Zealand's largest university. , the review was based on an analysis of four studies: two of text-message only programs and two that used the Internet along with mobile phones to keep up a stream of stop-smoking support. "It makes a lot of sense. Mobiles are well-integrated in daily lives. The programs are using what's in daily life rather than making people come into a clinic. They're more proactive, delivering directly to people wherever they are," Whittaker said. Together, the four studies included about 2,600 smokers of all ages. The reviewers observed that participants in text-message programs were about twice as likely not to smoke after six weeks as smokers in control groups. They further said that participants in mixed-media programs - cell phone plus Web - were significantly more likely to hang in there for at least six months after their chosen quit date. "Say people are out with friends and feeling really strong cravings. They can text the word 'crave' directly into the program and they can get a message with suggestions for techniques to get through the cravings or other things to do to distract them such as listen to music or take a walk around the block," Whittaker said. The reviewers, however, insist that quitting is extremely difficult, and that most people will make several efforts before finding success. "I'm glad the reviewers are trying to identify new ways to help people quit. What's out there is relatively stagnant. The protocol hasn't changed in years. But smokers are changing and our care needs to change. We're in a bit of a rut; if this study brings to the forefront the idea that there are other ways we can treat smokers, that's great," said Dr. Rebecca Schane, an internist internist /in·tern·ist/ (in-ter´nist) a specialist in internal medicine. in·ter·nist n. A physician specializing in internal medicine. and pulmonologist pul·mo·nol·o·gist n. A physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of respiratory disorders. with the Center for Tobacco Control Research at the University of California The University of California has a combined student body of more than 191,000 students, over 1,340,000 living alumni, and a combined systemwide and campus endowment of just over $7.3 billion (8th largest in the United States). at San Francisco San Francisco (săn frănsĭs`kō), city (1990 pop. 723,959), coextensive with San Francisco co., W Calif., on the tip of a peninsula between the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay, which are connected by the strait known as the Golden . The review appears in the latest issue of The Cochrane Library The Cochrane Library is a collection of databases in medicine and other healthcare specialties provided by the Cochrane Collaboration. At its core is a database of systematic reviews and meta-analyses which summarise and interpret the results of high-quality medical research. , a publication of the Cochrane Collaboration, an international organization that evaluates medical research. (ANI) Copyright 2009 Asian News International The Asian News International (ANI) agency provides multimedia news to China and 50 bureaus in India. It covers virtually all of South Asia since its foundation and presently claims, on its official website, to be the leading South Asia-wide news agency. (ANI) - All Rights Reserved. Provided by Syndigate.info an Albawaba.com company |
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