A family smoking cessation intervention for parents of children 0-18 months: a randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Aim: This is a single-blinded, multi-site randomized controlled trial aiming to evaluate the effectiveness of a proactive multi-step theory-based family smoking cessation intervention delivered by smoking cessation nurses to non-smoking mothers and smoking fathers, to protect their infants from exposure to household second-hand smoke and to help the fathers quit smoking. Methods: A total of 24,315 families were screened at 22 Maternal Child Health Centres in 2008- 2010. 1,158 families with smoking father, non-smoking mother and an infant under 18-month were randomized into intervention and control groups. The intervention group received face-to-face and telephone counselling (mothers) on executing a complete household-no smoking policy and supporting their husbands to quit smoking; 3 telephone smoking cessation counselling sessions (fathers); an additional face-to-face family intervention session with NRT (if necessary); and a smoke-free kit with health education materials. The control group received a pamphlet about smokefree home (mothers) and a self-help smoking cessation pamphlet (fathers). All families were followed up at 6- and 12-month to assess the fathers’ smoking status, implementation of household smoking policy (mothers), role of mothers’ general self-efficacy to assist fathers quit smoking, change in marital relationship (both spouses), and the utilization of health services (infants) .....