A new study has shown that health messages that are customized to the individual requirements of a smoker and which help make the person more self aware are more likely to help the individual to quit smoking.
Researchers at the University of Michigan found that rather than a standardized or one size fits all method to get people to quit smoking, it can be more effective if the anti smoking messages were tailored to a person and to their lifestyle.
In the study, participants were quizzed about their attitudes to smoking and about issues regarding their health. The information gleaned from this process was then used to create customized anti smoking messages for the study participants.
MRI brain scans were also performed to gauge how the anti smoking messages were processed and so on.
It was found that the customized messages help because of an enhanced involvement of self related processes which helped in changing health related behaviors in a desirable manner.
This also worked by helping people become more aware of stress triggers that brought on the urge to smoke so that they were better able to avoid those triggers.
