Motivational Interviewing Intervention With College Student Tobacco Users: Providers' Beliefs and Behaviors

Abstract

Objective: This study assessed college student health providers' use of Motivational Interviewing (MI) with tobacco users, as well as their beliefs about the use of brief interventions to help college student tobacco users quit. MI is recommended by the United States Public Health Service to increase tobacco users' willingness to quit. Participants: Participants included 83 clinicians from health clinics at 7 different universities in North Carolina. Methods: Paper-and-pencil baseline survey from a cluster randomized trial of college student health clinicians. Results: Twenty-two percent of respondents reported always or usually using MI during the past month for tobacco-using patients not ready to make a quit attempt. Student health providers also reported information with regards to their beliefs about tobacco cessation treatment, barriers to intervening with patients, and confidence in motivating students to consider quitting. Conclusions: Results highlight the need to encourage clinicians' use of motivationally focused interventions with student tobacco users. TABLE 1. Providers' Beliefs About Patient Tobacco Intervention and Cessation (N = 83)VariableResponse / % ResponseMotivational InterviewingReported always or usually Use Motivational Interviewing during past month22Provider beliefs Role in tobacco cessation treatmentAlways or usually feel this way It is my role to motivate my patients to quit70 It is my role to help motivated patients quit74BarriersNot at all a barrier or slight barrier I do not believe in the efficacy of cessation interventions96 Patients are not motivated to quit33 I am unfamiliar with interventions to help students quit68 My experience intervening with tobacco users is limited56ConfidenceVery confident or somewhat confident Motivating patients to consider quitting59Beliefs about brief treatmentStrongly agree or agree Brief treatment is ineffective28Provider trainingReported yes Formal training or education in counseling methods16