Background: The choice of spirometry, a biomarker of lung health, as a motivator for smoking cessation is based on its fidelity in emphasizing tobacco adverse effects. Yet, there is a paucity of evidence on its efficacy, and the findings are currently inconclusive. The aim of this study was to determine whether a spirometry and lung age communication has an effect on smoking cessation rates. Methods: We conducted a randomized controlled trial among patientswho attended the smoking cessation clinic (SCC) at FattoumaBourguiba University Hospital in Monastir, from June 2017 toFebruary 2020. Participants were assigned into two groups, acontrol arm receiving standard program and intervention armreceiving standard program and lung ageannouncement. Theprimary outcome was the smoking cessation rates after oneyear of follow-up between the intervention arm and thecontrol arm. Results: A total of 500 patients were recruited and randomized with 250patients in each group. At one-year endpoint, a total of 456patients were reachable for assessment, 236 in control groupand 220 in spirometry group. This made the loss rate at 8.8% (54/500). Six months cessation rate was 78 (33.1%) in control group and 106 (48.0%) in intervention group (p = 0.002). The primary outcome smoking cessation rate after one year of recruitment was higher in the intervention group than the control group (25.5% versus 16.5%), with a considerable statistical significance (p = 0.019). Moreover, spirometriclung age was significantly higher at paired comparison with chronologic age (58.81vs 46.54; p<.001); the mean difference was 10.24 years but with considerable inter-individual variability. Conclusions: Smoking cessation is still a challenging procedure with a high risk of relapse, making very valuable any approach that may increase motivation in both unmotivated and motivated smokers. This study is an additional evidence for spirometry and lung age announcement as motivators for smoking cessation.
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