Elsevier

Preventive Medicine

Volume 34, Issue 1, January 2002, Pages 58-65
Preventive Medicine

Regular Article
Effect of Feedback Regarding Urinary Cotinine and Brief Tailored Advice on Home Smoking Restrictions among Low-Income Parents of Children with Asthma: A Controlled Trial

https://doi.org/10.1006/pmed.2001.0953Get rights and content

Abstract

Background. Since most smoker parents of children with asthma are unable to quit, an alternative measure that would reduce their children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is to ban smoking in the home.

Methods. Compared with 136 usual-care controls, 128 intervention-group parents recruited from South Australian pediatric hospital outpatient waiting rooms were given written and verbal feedback about their 1- to 11-year-old child's urinary cotinine-to-creatinine level, information booklets, and two telephone calls encouraging a ban on smoking at home.

Results. At 6 months, 49.2% of the intervention group reported having banned smoking in the home compared with 41.9% of controls, but the differential rate of change from baseline was not significant (P = 0.40). At follow-up, there were no significant differences between groups in the percentage reporting bans on smoking in the car, the mean reduction from baseline in total daily consumption or consumption in front of the child, children's urinary cotinine level, or parental smoking cessation.

Conclusions. The intervention did not change parents' propensity to create or maintain bans on smoking in their homes or otherwise change smoking habits to reduce their children's exposure to ETS. More intensive interventions may be required to achieve change among low-income smoker parents of children with asthma.

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  • Cited by (0)

    This study was funded by the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council (Grant 980608).

    2

    To whom reprint requests should be addressed at the Center for Behavioral Research in Cancer, Cancer Control Research Institute, Anti-Cancer Council of Victoria, 100 Drummond Street, Carlton, Victoria 3053, Australia. Fax: (61) (3) 9635 5380. E-mail: [email protected].

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