Dr Laura Jones Lecturer In Qualitative and Mixed Methods Health Research, School of Health and Population Sciences, University of Birmingham
Abstract
In the UK over half (52%) of children who live with smokers are regularly exposed to secondhand smoke (SHS) at home. There is limited evidence of the effectiveness of interventions to reduce children’s SHS exposure and so the aim of this study was to test the feasibility of an intervention to help parents to reduce home smoking. The trial had two waves and participants were recruited via Children’s Centres. The 12 week intervention, delivered in the home consisted of three components: behavioural support, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for temporary abstinence and feedback on levels of smoke exposure in the form of children’s salivary cotinine or PM2.5 air quality.
Twelve mothers completed the study and all received feedback on home smoke exposure, behavioural support and the majority at least tried NRT. Saliva cotinine results were highly variable in wave 1 therefore measures of air quality were used for feedback and evaluation in wave 2. Average 24 hour PM2.5 levels reduced by 49% (range -85% to +9%) between baseline and week 12.
The intervention is both acceptable and feasible. Using PM2.5, we found initial evidence that this intervention may be effective in helping parents to change their home smoking behaviours.
Source of funding: Funding: This study presents independent research commissioned by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for Applied Research funding scheme (RP-PG-0608-10020).
The views expressed in this abstract are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health.
