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Poster presentation:
Randomized controlled trial of a social support ('buddy') intervention for smoking cessation
Sylvia May
Abstract
Objective
To assess the effectiveness of including a social support intervention ('buddy system') in a group treatment programme to aid smoking cessation.
Methods
563 smokers attended groups at a smokers' clinic. These groups were randomised either to be a) groups in which smokers were paired with another person to provide mutual support (buddy condition: N=237 in 14 groups) or b) to receive the same treatment without the buddy component (control: N=326 in 20 groups). Participants were seen weekly for the first four weeks after stopping then followed up again after 26 weeks.
Results
Smokers in the buddy condition were no more likely than smokers in the control condition to stay abstinent at one, four or 26 weeks. The effect was in the right direction at week one post-quit but after controlling for potential confounders the difference was not significant (Odds ratio=1.45 (95% CI; 0.92-2.29), p=.06).
Conclusions
We were unable to show that a buddy system improved abstinence rates of group treatment programmes. This might be due to the high level of social support already achieved through the groups..
Practice implications
The buddy system is a simple and very low cost addition to a group treatment programme; but the results from this study suggest that the kind of buddy system tested may not add substantially to the success rates. However there may be merits in a more intensive or protracted form of buddying.
Author 1: Sylvia May
Researcher
Health Behaviour Unit
University College London
London
WC1E 6BT
Author 2: Robert West
Author 3: Peter Hajek
Author 4: Andy McEwen
Author 5: Hayden McRobbie
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