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Biomedical subjects

R F Rakos

Publications and source records attributed to R F Rakos.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Predictors of initial smoking cessation and relapse through the first 2 years of the Lung Health Study.

Analyses were made separately for men and women of the predictors of end-of-treatment (4 months) smoking cessation and subsequent relapse at 12 and 24 months among 3,923 participants enrolled in the Lung Health Study's 12-week cognitive-behavioral group smoking cessation program. Nicotine gum (2 mg) was available to all participants. Men were more likely than women to quit smoking initially, but relapse rates were similar for both genders. Baseline variables associated with initial quitting for both genders included greater education, lower nicotine dependence, and fewer respiratory symptoms. The best predictor of relapse between 4 and 12 months was smoking at least 1 cigarette between quit day and 4 months. Nicotine gum use at 12 months predicted relapse by 24 months for both genders. Greater social and environmental support for quitting smoking were the only factors that predicted both initial quitting and relapse for both genders. Clinical implications are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The impact of a self-administered behavioral intervention program on pediatric asthma.

This study evaluated the benefits produced by "Superstuff", a self-help program for asthmatic children aged 7-12. Forty-three children with a confirmed diagnosis of moderate to severe asthma were randomly assigned to either the totally self-administered Superstuff condition or to a nocontact Control condition. Self-report, parental, physician, and school data were collected at pre-intervention, and two, six, and twelve months post-intervention. Children receiving Superstuff reported increased asthma self-control skills, but no gains in general self-control abilities or self-esteem. Superstuff subjects also evidenced fewer interruptions of parents, greater improvement in the progression of asthma as reported by physicians (but not in the severity of the disease or intensity of average attack), and tended toward decreased school absenteeism. Superstuff did not reduce scheduled or emergency medical contacts. The demonstration of important, but modest, benefits from a low-cost, easily disseminated, self-administered intervention is discussed in the context of self-help treatment in general.

Asthma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Intervention for relapse to smoking: the Lung Health Study restart programs.

The Lung Health Study enrolled 3,923 participants in a smoking cessation intervention program, and followed them for 5 years. The study provided intensive group interventions for participants who had relapsed. The purpose of this analysis was to describe and evaluate these Restart programs. Among 1,004 relapsed participants, the percent not smoking at 5th year was higher for men who had used Restart (47) compared to those who had not (28), but not for women (42 vs. 33). Overall, there was equivocal evidence of the impact of the Restart programs due to limitations in the evaluation design. Because relapse is a common feature of efforts to quit smoking, relapse intervention programs need further study and more rigorous evaluation.

Adult↗