What is the project about?
Employers can help employees with a lower socio-economic position to stop smoking. This can be done with effective smoking cessation training in the workplace in combination with financial rewards for quitting success. Previous research has shown that such training in combination with a reward is effective. “The training from our previous study was given by healthcare provider SineFuma and consists of seven weekly meetings of 1.5 hours. In our research, we rewarded people with €350 if they successfully quit smoking,” says Floor van den Brand.
The training has already been implemented in practice, but the rewards are not yet. People with a lower socio-economic position are also still insufficiently reached. “A logical next step is now to investigate whether the rewards can be implemented in practice,” says Gera Nagelhout. “How do we ensure that rewards for quit success become known and used by Dutch companies? The aim of our implementation project is to stimulate this within Dutch companies.”
Gera: “We also want to investigate how employers can better enthuse their employees (with a lower socio-economic position) who smoke to participate in a smoking cessation training”.
How do the outcomes of the project contribute to achieving the Smoke-Free Generation?
“This project can lead to more people in the Netherlands successfully quitting smoking. In our case, this concerns employees with a lower socio-economic position who stop smoking after following training at work.” said Floor.
“The project also provides insight into the hindering and facilitating factors in implementing an effective smoking cessation intervention. And the project offers starting points for what is (still) needed to make smoking cessation successful within organizations in the Netherlands,” adds Gera.
What were the most innovative insights?
Floor: “Both managers and employees who smoke think that a personal approach is the most effective way to enthuse employees with a lower socio-economic position to participate in a smoking cessation training. It also appears that managers often find smoking a difficult subject to talk about with their employees”.
“Our research shows that executives do not apply this personal approach enough, despite the handbook, videos and webinar that we developed during the project. As a result, the number of participants in the training is often disappointing. We also see that if managers do dare to approach their smoking employees personally, the training attracts many more participants.”
It also turned out to be difficult to use rewards. Many executives believe that a financial reward should not be a motivation to quit smoking. Rewarding employees who quit smoking is also perceived as unfair to non-smoking employees.
Gera: “We did not encounter this barrier in our previous (effectiveness) research, in which the rewards were paid by the subsidy provider. We therefore think that financing the rewards by, for example, health insurers would be a good option. It also saves costs for health insurers if more people successfully quit smoking.”
How did you put the knowledge into practice?
Floor: “The implementation strategy we developed is now used as standard by SineFuma, the largest provider of smoking cessation training in the Netherlands. They have adapted their way of communicating to companies based on the current project and plan to continue to do so after the project has ended.”
“In addition, Medipro, another large smoking cessation provider, has used our communication strategy as the basis for a training they are now offering to companies on location. In this training, managers learn how to motivate employees to participate in the stop-smoking offer.”
Who do you work with?
Maastricht University and Research Institute IVO are conducting the research together. In addition, various scientific and practical organizations are involved in the project as consultants and have actively contributed to the development of the implementation strategy. These are the LUMC, UMCG, Zuyderland Medical Center, Hogeschool Rotterdam, Trimbos Institute, Pharos, Long Alliantie Nederland (LAN), IQ Healthcare (Radboudumc), Center for Motivation and Change, Heartbeat Ventures, NVAB, HumanCapitalCare BV, Zilveren Kruis, InGuide, SineFuma, South Limburg Fire Brigade, SBCM A&O Fund SW and MTB.
Tobacco Control Research by Health Funds for Smoke Free
Nine studies were started in 2017 and 2019 based on the Tobacco Control Research Agenda of Health Funds for Smoke Free.
With a subsidy from ZonMw, four consortia are conducting effect or implementation research into the use and better reach of existing interventions:
- Smoke-free sports clubs for a smoke-free generation
- Strengthening guidance from general practice for smoking cessation (CONNECT study)
- Financial incentives for successful ‘stop smoking’ training at work
- Helping pregnant women to quit smoking (Together quitting together!)
In addition, the Health Funds for Smoke Free, the Thrombosis Foundation and the Diabetes have given grants to five other studies, including in the field of policy.
Apr 14, 2023 | congress of the Dutch Network for Tobacco Research
The Dutch Network for Tobacco Research (NNvT) organizes an annual scientific conference in collaboration with the Trimbos Institute. This meeting is the opportunity to exchange new research results in the broad field of tobacco research.
During this conference you will also hear more about the nine studies of the Health Funds for Smoke Free in response to the Tobacco Control research agenda. So come to Utrecht on Friday, April 14, 2023!
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ZonMw stimulates health research and healthcare innovation. ZonMw finances health research and encourages the use of the knowledge developed – in order to improve health care and health. ZonMw’s main clients are the Ministry of VWS and NWO.