Abstract
Introduction: Short intervention recommended by WHO is an effective and not financially demanding educational method destined for increasing health literacy of intervened persons, elimination or decreasing risk factors in their lifestyle and at the same time strengthening their responsibility for their own health. The method is suitable for the therapy of tobacco and alcohol addiction.
Aim: Using the method of short intervention to increase the health literacy of patients about the risk of smoking and to motivate them to quit smoking. Methodology: Fagerström test for nicotine dependence is used to estimate the level of addiction.
Clear pictorial cards are used for education in the Czech Republic. Intervention efficacy is evaluated by means of a short questionnaire dealing with influence on behaviour and attitudes of an intervened person.
This article describes results of the two-year project Application of the Method of Short Interventions in practice at the Medical College Prague (Vysoká škola zdravotnická, o. p. s.), realized in 2016-2017 in patients of the hospital VFN Praha and other medical institutions across the Czech Republic. Results: Total 763 men (47,93 %) and 829 (52,07 %) women were interested in the stop smoking intervention.
Conclusion: The project focused on the patients' education about risks of smoking and possibilities of treatment of this addiction. This project contributes to increasing health literacy and reducing the prevalence of smoking in the population of the Czech Republic.