MATERIALS AND METHODS: A randomised control study with a two-group, single-blind design and baseline evaluation was selected. Social media sites were used to advertise for participants, who were then admitted after meeting the requirements. Participants who met the eligibility requirements were randomly split into two groups. Each group received a total of three sessions of online therapy (MT or CT), once every two weeks, as well as one phone call per week as reinforcement. At the beginning and end of the intervention, participants completed questionnaires (1st week and 5th week). Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) statistical analysis was used to analyse all the variables.
RESULTS: The MT group experienced a statistically significant decrease in cigarette consumption (β: -3.50, 95% Wald CI: - 4.62, -2.39) compared to the CT group over time. Furthermore, the MT group demonstrated significant improvements in their scores for the AAQ-2, anxiety, stress, depression and mindfulness compared to the CT group.
CONCLUSION: Online MT is more successful at assisting smokers in lowering their daily cigarette intake and supporting their mental health during the smoking cessation process. Further longitudinal comparisons of the effectiveness of online MT should be undertaken using online platforms in future studies.
METHODS: A multi-center retrospective study design was used to collect data from TB patients in four different states of Malaysia, namely Penang, Sabah, Sarawak, and Selangor. The study included medical records of TB patients admitted to the selected hospitals in the period from January 2006 to March 2009. Medical records with incomplete data were not included. Patient demographics and clinical data were collected using a validated data collection form.
RESULTS: Of all patients with TB (9337), the prevalence of smokers was 4313 (46.2%). Among smokers, 3584 (83.1%) were associated with pulmonary TB, while 729 (16.9%) were associated with extrapulmonary TB. Male gender (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.30-1.58), Chinese ethnicity (OR = 1.23, 95% CI 1.02-1.49), Sarawak indigenous ethnicity (OR = 0.74, 95% CI 0.58-0.95), urban residents (OR = 1.46, 95% CI 1.33-1.61), employed individuals (OR = 1.21, 95% CI 1.09-1.34), alcoholics (OR = 4.91, 95% CI 4.04-5.96), drug abusers (OR = 7.43, 95% CI 5.70-9.60) and presence of co-morbid condition (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 1.16-1.40) all showed significant association with smoking habits. This study found that 3236 (75.0%) patients were successfully treated in the smokers' group, while 4004 (79.7%) patients were non-smokers. The proportion of deaths (6.6%, n = 283), defaulters (6.6%, n = 284) and treatment interruptions (4.7%, n = 204) was higher in the smokers' group.
CONCLUSIONS: Smoking has a strong influence on TB and is a major barrier towards treatment success (OR = 0.76, 95% CI 0.69-0.84, p