Abstract
We tested the effectiveness of a program consisting of motivational interviewing (MI) and feedback of urine cotinine to stop passive smoking (PS) in children at risk for asthma. Fifty-eight families with children 0–13 years with a high risk of asthma and PS exposure were randomised in a one-year follow-up study. The intervention group received the intervention program during 6 sessions (1/month) and the control group received measurements (questionnaires, urine cotinine, and lung function) only. The primary outcome measure was the percentage of families stopping PS (parental report verified and unverified with the child’s urine cotinine concentration <10 μg/l) in children during the intervention program. The analyses were performed with Mixed Logistic Regression. After 6 months, a significant group difference was observed for the unverified parental report of stopping PS in children: 27% of parents in the intervention group versus 7% in the control group. For the verified parental report, the difference was similar (23% versus 7%) but was not statistically significant. Despite a limited sample size, the results suggest that the intervention program is probably an effective strategy to stop PS in children. A program longer than 6 months might be necessary for a longer lasting intervention effect.
Highlights
Asthma is the foremost chronic disease in children and is associated with increased morbidity and decreased quality of life[1]
Fifty-eight families were randomised in the trial: 30 to the intervention and 28 to the control group
After randomisation, 6 families from the intervention group and 2 from the control group dropped out of the study and no variables could be recorded for these subjects apart from the child’s age, gender and exposure to passive smoking (PS)
Summary
Asthma is the foremost chronic disease in children and is associated with increased morbidity and decreased quality of life[1]. We hypothesised that an effective intervention to stop PS in children with a high risk of asthma may be possible by incorporating elements of previous trials into one intervention program[12,13,16,17,18,19,20]. Such intervention program should consist of a tailored MI program with repeated contacts at home, focusing on awareness, education, perceived barriers, perspectives and needs of parents, in combination with feedback about urine cotinine levels of the children. The aim of the PREPASE study was to evaluate the effectiveness of such an intervention
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