Behavioral smoking cessation outcomes among industrial workers in Myanmar following a health belief model-based health education and mobile phone short message service intervention

Introduction: Evidence on theory-based workplace smoking cessation interventions in low- and middle-income countries remains limited, particularly regarding longitudinal behavioral outcomes. Our study aimed to examine the longitudinal associations between a Health Belief Model-based smoking cessation intervention and smoking-related behavioral outcomes among industrial workers in Myanmar. Methods: = 292; 146 per group) were assessed at baseline, immediately post-intervention (3 months), and 3 months post-intervention. Outcomes included number of cigarettes smoked per week, intention to quit, number of quit attempts, and self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence. Between-group comparisons used t-tests and chi-square/Fisher's exact tests. Adjusted associations over time were estimated using generalized estimating equations (GEE), controlling for age, marital status, education, income, age at smoking initiation, and smoking duration. Results: < 0.001), with no significant group × time association. Given the quasi-experimental design with only two industries, findings should be interpreted with caution. Conclusion: An HBM-based intervention combining workplace health education and mobile phone short message service support was associated with improvements in smoking-related behavioral outcomes among industrial workers in Myanmar, including reduced cigarette consumption, increased quit intention, and higher short-term abstinence. Integration of theory-based workplace health education with mobile messaging may support smoking cessation efforts in low- and middle-income countries.