Changes in smokers' perception about smoking before and after participation in a hospitalized smoking cessation program

PURPOSE: This study was done to analyze the changes in smokers' subjectivity about smoking before and after participation in a 5-day hospitalized smoking cessation program. DESIGN: Q-methodology, which provides a scientific method on subjectivity, was applied. FINDINGS: Nine types of subjectivity changes about smoking were identified; Type I, Nicotine craving --> Confident of self control for smoking; Type II, Nicotine craving --> Cognition of the link between habituation and smoking, Type III, Nicotine craving --> Nicotine craving, Type IV, smoking as a social behavior --> Cognition of the link between habituation and smoking, Type V, smoking as a social behavior --> Motive to turn away from being addicted to smoking to being healthy, Type VI, Habitual smoking --> Confident of self control for smoking, Type VII, Habitual smoking --> Cognition of the link between habituation and smoking, Type VIII, Habitual smoking --> Motive to turn away from being addicted to smoking to being healthy and Type IX, Denial of the negative effects of smoking --> Confident of self control for smoking. CONCLUSION: The types of changes in smokers' subjectivity before and after the smoking cessation program in this study suggest a better tailored intervention for individual smokers. The types of changes on smokers' subjectivity provide insight about which factors of the interventions for smoking cessation are especially valued for a particular group of smokers.