Intervention study for smoking cessation in Spanish college students: pragmatic randomized controlled trial

Intention to quit electronic cigarette smoking among university students who are e-cigarette users

OBJECTIVE

To identify factors that are significantly associated with the intention to quit electronic cigarette smoking (ECS) at multiple, ecological levels among university students.

PARTICIPANTS

365 students who were e-cigarette users from Seoul metropolitan areas, South Korea.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study through an online survey.

RESULTS

Of participants, 62.7% had the intention to quit ECS-17.2% within one month, 14.0% within six months, and 31.5% when the time is right. Factors significantly associated with the intention to quit ECS were identified: "device type," "a shorter duration of ECS," and "having started ECS for quitting traditional cigarette smoking" at the intrapersonal-level; "negative attitudes of either peers or family members toward ECS" at the interpersonal-level; and "exposure to community smoking cessation educations" at the community-level.

CONCLUSIONS

Approximately one-thirds of university e-cigarette users had no intention to quit ECS. The factors identified should be integrated into university level, behavioral smoking cessation strategies.

Passive exposure and perceptions of smoke-free policies in hospital and university campuses among nursing students: A cross-sectional multicenter study

INTRODUCTION

Outdoor smoke-free regulations reduce exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and help to denormalize tobacco use. As future key agents in health promotion, nursing students' attitudes should agree with tobacco-control policies. The objectives of this study were: 1) assess nursing students' exposure to SHS in nursing schools, 2) explore their perceptions of compliance with the existing smoke-free regulations in acute-care hospitals; and 3) describe their support for indoor and outdoor smoking bans on hospital and university campuses.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional multicenter study conducted in 2015-2016 in all 15 university nursing schools in Catalonia, Spain. A questionnaire gathered information on SHS exposure, awareness of the smoke-free regulation in acutecare hospitals, and support for smoke-free policies in indoor and outdoor areas of hospitals and university campuses. Participants were nursing students attending classes on the day of the survey. We performed descriptive analyses and calculated adjusted prevalence ratios (APR) and 95% confidence interval (CI).

RESULTS

Of 4381 respondents, 99.1% had seen people smoking in outdoor areas of their university campus, and 75.2% had been exposed to SHS on the campus (6.0% indoors and 69.2% outdoors). Nearly 60% were aware of the smoking regulation in place in acute-care hospitals. There was widespread support for smoke-free indoor hospital regulation (98.7%), but less support (64.8%) for outdoor regulations. Approximately 33% supported the regulation to make outdoor healthcare campuses smoke-free, which was higher among third-year students compared to first-year students (APR=1.41; 95% CI: 1.24-1.62), among never smokers (41.4%; APR=2.84; 95% CI: 2.21-3.64) compared to smokers, and among those who were aware of the regulation (38.4%; 95% CI: 1.37-1.75).

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to SHS on university campuses is high. Nursing students express low support for strengthening outdoor smoking bans on hospital and university campuses. Interventions aiming to increase their support should be implemented.

The effectiveness of tobacco cessation programs for university students: A systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to explore the existing tobacco interventions and synthesize whether those interventions affected tobacco use among university students.

METHODS

We searched and found 1799 studies in PubMed, ClinicalKey for Nursing, Embase, and SCOPUS between 2009 and 2022. The risk of bias was assessed using similar criteria for RCT and non-randomized studies guided by the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews. The heterogeneity of studies was evaluated using Cochran's Q and I² index. The GRADE system was used to distinguish the quality of evidence, and Egger's linear regression test was performed to assess publication bias.

RESULTS

Eighteen studies used data extraction and analyses, and only eleven were meta-analyzed, which found that the estimate obtained via the fixed-effects model was statistically significant. Technology-based and motivational interview interventions found pooled ORs of statical significance, while reinforcer interventions showed the smallest effect size. The level of heterogeneity was considered substantial. The assessment for quality of evidence showed low overall certainty of evidence due to imprecision of outcome and suspicion of publication bias. Egger's test showed no publication bias among included studies (p=0.38).

CONCLUSIONS

There were numerous tobacco cessation interventions for university students, but the most effective intervention to change tobacco consumption behavior was still inconclusive and uncertain.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This systematic review was registered with PROSPERO. The registration number is CRD42019142491.

[Identifying non-pharmacological strategies for reduction and cessation of tobacco use in university studentsIdentificação de estratégias não farmacológicas para reduzir e suspender o consumo de tabaco por estudantes universitários]

Objective

Identify non-pharmacological strategies for reduction and cessation of tobacco use, aimed at the community of undergraduate university students.

Methods

Classic systematic review of experimental scientific literature published in the last 20 years in databases and grey literature. The search algorithm consisted of using the maximum amount of terminology that described the research question, resulting in the largest number of results in the different databases. Evidence tables were constructed with the FLC 3.0 assessment tool and Excel 2021. Use of the GRADE tool enabled assessment of the quality of scientific evidence. Risk of bias was estimated in accordance with recommendations in the Cochrane Handbook of Systematic Reviews of Interventions. A narrative summary of the included studies was provided, given the high degree of heterogeneity established by I2 statistics.

Results

A search of databases and grey literature obtained 40 823 articles. After the application of inclusion and exclusion criteria, seven articles were included: one study with impact on cessation, two studies on reduction, and four studies with an impact on both the reduction and cessation of tobacco use. The methodological quality was "good" according to the GRADE tool. The overall risk of bias was 'low'. The high clinical and methodological heterogeneity of the studies prevented grouping for the construction of a meta-analysis.

Conclusion

Data from the seven articles show that non-pharmacological interventions can result in reduction and cessation of tobacco use in the university student population, although the evidence is still limited. Further studies are necessary in order to develop strong recommendations for implementation.

Best Nursing Intervention Practices to Prevent Non-Communicable Disease: A Systematic Review

Objectives: To explore nursing health education interventions for non-communicable disease patients.

Methods: The design was a systematic review of research work published between 2008 and 2018. The data sources included the Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, COCHRANE, and LILACS. The studies that met the inclusion were assessed, and the analysis for methodological quality through the recommended tools CASPe, and JADAD.

Results: Fifteen original studies from eight counties were included in the review; Findings revealed 13 studies with randomized samples and six used power analysis. Nurses’ interventions included house calls, home care, and individual and group health education.

Conclusion: Nursing interventions showed 76.4% the effectiveness of results in patient outcomes to promote and improve healthier lifestyles and quality of life of non-communicable disease patients. This review discloses the significant impact of nursing health education interventions. Nursing leadership and political decision-makers should consider providing programs to enhance health education knowledge and abilities. All of this can favor the sustainability of the global economy by changing the life style of thousands of people worldwide.

Systematic Review Registration:https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/, identifier CRD42020208809.

Knowledge, Attitudes, and Training in Tobacco Dependence and Cessation Treatment Among Nursing Students in Catalonia (ECTEC Study): Cross-Sectional Study

Nursing students are part of the future health labor force; thus, knowing their knowledge and participation in tobacco control is of importance. Multicentre cross-sectional study conducted to assess nursing students' knowledge, attitudes, and training in tobacco dependence and treatment at 15 nursing schools in Catalonia. We employed a self-administered questionnaire. 4,381 students participated. Few respondents (21.1%) knew how to assess smokers' nicotine dependence, and less than half (41.4%) knew about the smoking cessation therapies. Most (80%) had been educated on the health risks of smoking, 50% about the reasons why people smoke and, one third on how to provide cessation aid. Students in the last years of training were more likely to have received these two contents. Nursing students lack sufficient knowledge to assess and treat tobacco dependence and are rarely trained in such subjects. Nursing curricula in tobacco dependence and treatment should be strengthened to tackle the first preventable cause of disease worldwide.

Smoking Cessation Programs for Pregnant Women: Utilizing WhatsApp Text Messaging

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to develop a Transtheoretical-Model-based and WhatsApp-text-message-supported smoking cessation program for pregnant women and to evaluate its effectiveness.

METHODS

This study is a pretest-posttest designed, randomized controlled and quasi-experimental intervention research. The study was conducted on 50 pregnant women, 25 of them in the intervention group and 25 of them in the control group. A theory-based motivational individual counseling initiative has been applied to the intervention group, and WhatsApp text messages have been sent 3 days a week, in accordance with the stages of change to support the interviews.

RESULTS

In the final follow-up, 60% of pregnant women in the intervention group and 36% of pregnant women in the control group quit smoking. All participants indicated they would recommend the WhatsApp-text-message-supported smoking cessation program. Transtheoretical-Model-based and WhatsApp-text-message-supported smoking cessation programs were found to be effective in reducing nicotine dependency scores and carbon monoxide levels of pregnant women and quitting smoking.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS

The smoking cessation program used in the research may be applied by midwives or nurses trained on the subject to help pregnant women quit smoking.

Tailored Web-Based Smoking Interventions and Reduced Attrition: Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Background

The increasing number of internet users presents an opportunity to deliver health interventions to large populations. Despite their potential, many web-based interventions, including those for smoking cessation, face high rates of attrition. Further consideration of how intervention features impact attrition is needed.

Objective

The aim of this systematic review is to investigate whether tailored web-based smoking cessation interventions for smokers are associated with reduced rates of attrition compared with active or passive untailored web-based interventions. The outcomes of interest were dropout attrition at 1-, 3-, 6-, and 12-month follow-ups.

Methods

Literature searches were conducted in May 2018 and updated in May 2020 on MEDLINE (Medical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online), PsycINFO (Psychological Information), EMBASE (Excerpta Medica dataBASE), CINAHL (Cumulated Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), Scopus, and the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialized Register with the following search terms: smoking cessation, tailored, or web- or internet-based. Included studies were published in English before or in May 2020 using a randomized controlled trial design. Studies were restricted to those with web-based delivery, a tailored intervention group, an untailored control group, and a reported outcome of smoking cessation. Studies were assessed for methodological quality using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool. Two reviewers independently extracted the study characteristics and the number of participants lost to follow-up for each treatment group.

Results

A total of 13 studies were included in the systematic review, of which 11 (85%) were included in the meta-analysis. Tailoring had no statistically significant effect on dropout attrition at 1-month (risk ratio [RR]=1.02, 95% CI 0.95-1.09; P=.58; I²=78%), 3-month (RR=0.99, 95% CI 0.95-1.04; P=.80; I²=73%), 6-month (RR=1.00, 95% CI 0.95-1.05; P=.90; I²=43%), or 12-month (RR=0.97, 95% CI 0.92-1.02; P=.26; I²=28%) follow-ups. Subgroup analyses suggested that there was a statistically significant effect of tailoring between the active and passive subgroups at 1-month (P=.03), 3-month (P<.001), and 6-month (P=.02) follow-ups but not at 12-month follow-up (P=.25).

Conclusions

The results suggest that tailoring of web-based smoking cessation interventions may not be associated with reduced rates of dropout attrition at 1-, 3-, 6-, or 12-month follow-ups. Significant differences between studies that include untailored active and passive control groups suggest that the role of tailoring may be more prominent when studies include a passive control group. These findings may be because of variability in the presence of additional features, the definition of smokers used, and the duration of smoking abstinence measured. Future studies should incorporate active web-based controls, compare the impact of different tailoring strategies, and include populations outside of the Western countries.

Predictors of Abstinence from Smoking: A Retrospective Study of Male College Students Enrolled in a Smoking Cessation Service

There were high smoking rates among young male college students in Korea. We aimed to investigate the prevalence of and factors affecting abstinence from smoking following smoking cessation service attendance in this population. Data were collected between 1 August 2015 and 20 August 2018. Participants were administered more than nine face-to-face and telephone counseling sessions by trained tobacco cessation specialists for six months. Follow-up assessments were conducted at 4, 6, and 12 weeks, and 6 months after the quit date. A total of 3978 male college student smokers were enrolled; their mean age was 23.17 (±3.45) years. Almost one-third of the participants (64.9%) reported that they had attempted to quit during the past year. The number of cigarettes smoked per day, CO ppm, and Fagerström Test of Nicotine Dependence score at the baseline were negatively associated with abstinence, while motivational variables-importance, confidence, and readiness-were positively associated with abstinence. Our results suggest that provision of visiting smoking cessation services can be an active intervention platform for college student smokers who need professional assistance or support. Active and accessible support should be provided to such people. Visiting a smoking cessation service may result in increased long-term abstinence rates in such students.

Motivational interviewing for smoking cessation

BACKGROUND

Motivational Interviewing (MI) is a directive patient-centred style of counselling, designed to help people to explore and resolve ambivalence about behaviour change. It was developed as a treatment for alcohol abuse, but may help people to a make a successful attempt to stop smoking.

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the efficacy of MI for smoking cessation compared with no treatment, in addition to another form of smoking cessation treatment, and compared with other types of smoking cessation treatment. We also investigated whether more intensive MI is more effective than less intensive MI for smoking cessation.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialised Register for studies using the term motivat* NEAR2 (interview* OR enhanc* OR session* OR counsel* OR practi* OR behav*) in the title or abstract, or motivation* as a keyword. We also searched trial registries to identify unpublished studies. Date of the most recent search: August 2018.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomised controlled trials in which MI or its variants were offered to smokers to assist smoking cessation. We excluded trials that did not assess cessation as an outcome, with follow-up less than six months, and with additional non-MI intervention components not matched between arms. We excluded trials in pregnant women as these are covered elsewhere.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We followed standard Cochrane methods. Smoking cessation was measured after at least six months, using the most rigorous definition available, on an intention-to-treat basis. We calculated risk ratios (RR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for smoking cessation for each study, where possible. We grouped eligible studies according to the type of comparison. We carried out meta-analyses where appropriate, using Mantel-Haenszel random-effects models. We extracted data on mental health outcomes and quality of life and summarised these narratively.

MAIN RESULTS

We identified 37 eligible studies involving over 15,000 participants who smoked tobacco. The majority of studies recruited participants with particular characteristics, often from groups of people who are less likely to seek support to stop smoking than the general population. Although a few studies recruited participants who intended to stop smoking soon or had no intentions to quit, most recruited a population without regard to their intention to quit. MI was conducted in one to 12 sessions, with the total duration of MI ranging from five to 315 minutes across studies. We judged four of the 37 studies to be at low risk of bias, and 11 to be at high risk, but restricting the analysis only to those studies at low or unclear risk did not significantly alter results, apart from in one case - our analysis comparing higher to lower intensity MI.We found low-certainty evidence, limited by risk of bias and imprecision, comparing the effect of MI to no treatment for smoking cessation (RR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.63 to 1.12; I2 = 0%; adjusted N = 684). One study was excluded from this analysis as the participants recruited (incarcerated men) were not comparable to the other participants included in the analysis, resulting in substantial statistical heterogeneity when all studies were pooled (I2 = 87%). Enhancing existing smoking cessation support with additional MI, compared with existing support alone, gave an RR of 1.07 (95% CI 0.85 to 1.36; adjusted N = 4167; I2 = 47%), and MI compared with other forms of smoking cessation support gave an RR of 1.24 (95% CI 0.91 to 1.69; I2 = 54%; N = 5192). We judged both of these estimates to be of low certainty due to heterogeneity and imprecision. Low-certainty evidence detected a benefit of higher intensity MI when compared with lower intensity MI (RR 1.23, 95% CI 1.11 to 1.37; adjusted N = 5620; I2 = 0%). The evidence was limited because three of the five studies in this comparison were at risk of bias. Excluding them gave an RR of 1.00 (95% CI 0.65 to 1.54; I2 = n/a; N = 482), changing the interpretation of the results.Mental health and quality of life outcomes were reported in only one study, providing little evidence on whether MI improves mental well-being.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is insufficient evidence to show whether or not MI helps people to stop smoking compared with no intervention, as an addition to other types of behavioural support for smoking cessation, or compared with other types of behavioural support for smoking cessation. It is also unclear whether more intensive MI is more effective than less intensive MI. All estimates of treatment effect were of low certainty because of concerns about bias in the trials, imprecision and inconsistency. Consequently, future trials are likely to change these conclusions. There is almost no evidence on whether MI for smoking cessation improves mental well-being.

Predictors of Smoking Cessation Among College Students in a Pragmatic Randomized Controlled Trial

An effective strategy to quit smoking should consider demographic aspects, smoking-related characteristics and psychological factors. This study examined potential predictors of smoking cessation in Spanish college students. A total of 255 college student smokers (18-24 years old), recruited to a cessation trial (Spain, 2013-2014), comprised an observational cohort. The main outcome was biochemically verified (urine cotinine) abstinence at the 6-month follow-up. Baseline potential predictors included socio-demographic, smoking-related and psychological variables (Fagerström Test for Nicotine Dependence (FTND), expired monoxide level (CO), intention to quit, previous quit attempts, participation in previous multicomponent programmes and confidence in quitting). Logistic regression models were used to identify potential predictors, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to discriminate the capacity of the predictors and the Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test was used to assess model calibration. After 6 months of follow-up, variables related to high nicotine dependence, FTND and expired CO levels were associated with lower odds of quitting smoking (OR = 0.69 [95% CI 0.54-0.89] and 0.84 [0.77-0.92], respectively). Furthermore, being prepared to change (OR = 3.98 [1.49-10.64], p = 0.006) and being confident to quit (OR = 4.73 [2.12-10.55], p < 0.001) were also potential predictors of smoking cessation. The model that combined all these variables had the best predictive validity (AUC = 0.84 [0.78-0.91], p = 0.693) and showed good predictive capacity (χ² = 10.36, p = 0.241). Findings highlight that, in this population of college student smokers, having a lower level of nicotine dependence, being prepared to quit and having the confidence in the ability to quit were associated with smoking cessation, and these factors had good predictive capacity.

Understanding how a smoking cessation intervention changes beliefs, self-efficacy, and intention to quit: a secondary analysis of a pragmatic randomized controlled trial

Although beliefs, self-efficacy, and intention to quit have been identified as proximal predictors of initiation or quitting in young adults, few studies have studied how these variables change after a smoking cessation intervention. To evaluate the changes in the beliefs, self-efficacy, and intention to avoid smoking and determine if these are potential mediators in quitting, following a smoking cessation intervention, aimed at tobacco-dependent college students. Single-blind, pragmatic randomized controlled trial with a 6-month follow-up. A total of 255 smoker students were recruited from September 2013 to February 2014. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention group (n = 133) or to control group (n = 122). The students in the intervention group received a multicomponent intervention based on the Theory of Triadic Influence (TTI). The strategies of this program consisted of a 50 min motivational interview conducted by a nurse and online self-help material. The follow-up included a reinforcing e-mail and group therapy. The smoking-related self-efficacy, belief, and intention scale was used to assess outcomes. Intention to quit smoking is partial moderator explaining 36.2% of the total effects in smoking cessation incidence. At 6 month follow-up, the differences in the mean scores of self-efficacy and intention related to stopping smoking were significantly higher in the intervention than in the control group. A multicomponent intervention based on the TTI, tailored to college students, positively increased the self-efficacy to avoid smoking and the intention to quit, suggesting intention as potential mediator of quitting.

Efficacy of interventions targeting alcohol, drug and smoking behaviors in university and college students: A review of randomized controlled trials

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the effectiveness of interventions targeting alcohol consumption, drug use and smoking for college/university students.

PARTICIPANTS

College/University students.

METHODS

Studies were eligible if: (1)included students attending universities/colleges; (2)implemented in a university/college setting; (3)aimed to improve at least one of the following behaviors: alcohol and/or drug use and/or smoking; (4)were RCTs. The effect of the interventions on behaviors was determined by the percentage of studies that reported an effect. Due to the heterogeneity of outcomes meta-analysis was not conducted.

RESULTS

88 studies met criteria. University-based interventions were effective for reducing alcohol-related outcomes (drinking patterns, BAC, consequences, problem drinking). Inconsistent findings for drug and smoking were observed.

CONCLUSIONS

University-based interventions have the potential to improve health for students. While there is a breadth of research examining the efficacy of interventions to reduce alcohol consumption, further research is needed to determine the best approach for addressing smoking and drug use among students.

Which eHealth interventions are most effective for smoking cessation? A systematic review

PURPOSE

To synthesize evidence of the effects and potential effect modifiers of different electronic health (eHealth) interventions to help people quit smoking.

METHODS

Four databases (MEDLINE, PsycINFO, Embase, and The Cochrane Library) were searched in March 2017 using terms that included "smoking cessation", "eHealth/mHealth" and "electronic technology" to find relevant studies. Meta-analysis and meta-regression analyses were performed using Mantel-Haenszel test for fixed-effect risk ratio (RR) and restricted maximum-likelihood technique, respectively. Protocol Registration Number: CRD42017072560.

RESULTS

The review included 108 studies and 110,372 participants. Compared to nonactive control groups (eg, usual care), smoking cessation interventions using web-based and mobile health (mHealth) platform resulted in significantly greater smoking abstinence, RR 2.03 (95% CI 1.7-2.03), and RR 1.71 (95% CI 1.35-2.16), respectively. Similarly, smoking cessation trials using tailored text messages (RR 1.80, 95% CI 1.54-2.10) and web-based information and conjunctive nicotine replacement therapy (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.17-1.43) may also increase cessation. In contrast, little or no benefit for smoking abstinence was found for computer-assisted interventions (RR 1.31, 95% CI 1.11-1.53). The magnitude of effect sizes from mHealth smoking cessation interventions was likely to be greater if the trial was conducted in the USA or Europe and when the intervention included individually tailored text messages. In contrast, high frequency of texts (daily) was less effective than weekly texts.

CONCLUSIONS

There was consistent evidence that web-based and mHealth smoking cessation interventions may increase abstinence moderately. Methodologic quality of trials and the intervention characteristics (tailored vs untailored) are critical effect modifiers among eHealth smoking cessation interventions, especially for web-based and text messaging trials. Future smoking cessation intervention should take advantages of web-based and mHealth engagement to improve prolonged abstinence.

A retrospective study of smoking cessation intervention among university students

This retrospective study investigated the effect of smoking cessation intervention (SCI) among university students in China.Around 192 eligible smokers among university students were included, and were assigned to an intervention group (n = 100), and a control group (n = 92). All included subjects in both groups were recommended to increase fruits and vegetables consumptions. Additionally, participants in the intervention group also underwent SCI therapy for a total of 4 weeks. The outcome measurements consisted of a number of students quit smoking, daily cigarettes, quit attempts, mean days of smoking in the past 30 days, and also stage of change.After 4-week treatment, SCI neither can decrease the number of students quit smoking (P = .21), daily cigarettes (P = .21), quit attempts (P = .07), and mean days of smoking in past 30 days (P = .77), nor can enhance the stage of change (precontemplation, P = .18; contemplation, P = .59; preparation, P = .46).The results of this study showed that after 4-week therapy, SCI may be ineffective for smokers among university students in Chinese.

Nursing interventions for smoking cessation

BACKGROUND

Healthcare professionals, including nurses, frequently advise people to improve their health by stopping smoking. Such advice may be brief, or part of more intensive interventions.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the effectiveness of nursing-delivered smoking cessation interventions in adults. To establish whether nursing-delivered smoking cessation interventions are more effective than no intervention; are more effective if the intervention is more intensive; differ in effectiveness with health state and setting of the participants; are more effective if they include follow-ups; are more effective if they include aids that demonstrate the pathophysiological effect of smoking.

SEARCH METHODS

We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group Specialized Register and CINAHL in January 2017.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Randomized trials of smoking cessation interventions delivered by nurses or health visitors with follow-up of at least six months.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

Two review authors extracted data independently. The main outcome measure was abstinence from smoking after at least six months of follow-up. We used the most rigorous definition of abstinence for each trial, and biochemically-validated rates if available. Where statistically and clinically appropriate, we pooled studies using a Mantel-Haenszel fixed-effect model and reported the outcome as a risk ratio (RR) with a 95% confidence interval (CI).

MAIN RESULTS

Fifty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria, nine of which are new for this update. Pooling 44 studies (over 20,000 participants) comparing a nursing intervention to a control or to usual care, we found the intervention increased the likelihood of quitting (RR 1.29, 95% CI 1.21 to 1.38); however, statistical heterogeneity was moderate (I² = 50%) and not explained by subgroup analysis. Because of this, we judged the quality of evidence to be moderate. Despite most studies being at unclear risk of bias in at least one domain, we did not downgrade the quality of evidence further, as restricting the main analysis to only those studies at low risk of bias did not significantly alter the effect estimate. Subgroup analyses found no evidence that high-intensity interventions, interventions with additional follow-up or interventions including aids that demonstrate the pathophysiological effect of smoking are more effective than lower intensity interventions, or interventions without additional follow-up or aids. There was no evidence that the effect of support differed by patient group or across healthcare settings.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is moderate quality evidence that behavioural support to motivate and sustain smoking cessation delivered by nurses can lead to a modest increase in the number of people who achieve prolonged abstinence. There is insufficient evidence to assess whether more intensive interventions, those incorporating additional follow-up, or those incorporating pathophysiological feedback are more effective than one-off support. There was no evidence that the effect of support differed by patient group or across healthcare settings.

Attitudes of students of a health sciences university towards the extension of smoke-free policies at the university campuses of Barcelona (Spain)

OBJECTIVE

To assess attitudes towards the extension of outdoor smoke-free areas on university campuses.

METHODS

Cross-sectional study (n=384) conducted using a questionnaire administered to medical and nursing students in Barcelona in 2014. Information was obtained pertaining to support for indoor and outdoor smoking bans on university campuses, and the importance of acting as role models. Logistic regression analyses were performed to examine agreement.

RESULTS

Most of the students agreed on the importance of health professionals and students as role models (74.9% and 64.1%, respectively) although there were statistically significant differences by smoking status and age. 90% of students reported exposure to smoke on campus. Students expressed strong support for indoor smoke-free policies (97.9%). However, only 39.3% of participants supported regulation of outdoor smoking for university campuses. Non-smokers (OR=12.315; 95% CI: 5.377-28.204) and students ≥22 years old (OR=3.001; 95% CI: 1.439-6.257) were the strongest supporters.

CONCLUSIONS

The students supported indoor smoke-free policies for universities. However, support for extending smoke-free regulations to outdoor areas of university campuses was limited. It is necessary to educate students about tobacco control and emphasise their importance as role models before extending outdoor smoke-free legislation at university campuses.

Addictive Behavior Interventions Among College Students

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Addictive behaviors among college students are a significant public health concern. This manuscript reviews the past two years of literature on prevention and treatment approaches for college students who engage in addictive behaviors.

RECENT FINDINGS

In-person skills-based interventions and motivational interventions that incorporate personalized feedback are effective in the short-term but little support was found for long-term effects. Although web-based interventions reduced certain addictive behaviors (e.g., alcohol, problematic gambling), in-person interventions that include motivational interviewing components and personalized feedback appear to be more efficacious.

SUMMARY

Research has largely focused on alcohol and little is known about the utility of interventions for students who use tobacco or illicit substances or who engage in problematic gambling. Research on interventions for these high-risk behaviors is recommended.