Effects of a School-based Intervention Program on Attitude and Knowledge of Household Members Towards a Smoke-free Home: a Cluster Controlled Trial

Abstract

Background: A school-based smoke free home (SFH) program is useful in empowering the mother and child to reduce secondhand smoke exposure but the effects of pretesting on knowledge and attitude has been largely ignored. We aimed to test whether such a program can be effective in Southern Thailand with an additional assessment of the net effect of the pretest. Materials and Methods: A Solomon four-group design was used. Twelve rural primary schools were assigned to one of the four conditions (each with 3 schools): intervention with and without a pretest, control with and without the same pretest. The intervention was performed in the classroom and home over a period of 1 month. Outcomes were assessed at baseline and 3 months after the intervention on whether the home was smoke free and related knowledge and attitude. Results: The intervention could lead to a smoke-free home without statistical significance. Attitude, knowledge and self-confidence on creating a smoke-free home, and self-confidence in avoidance of secondhand smoke exposure and persuading smokers to not smoke in their home were significantly improved. No pretest effect was observed. Conclusions: Gain in attitude, knowledge and self-confidence among family members from the brief school-based education should be enhanced by other measures.

Evaluation of the effectiveness of a WHO-5A model based comprehensive tobacco control program among migrant workers in Guangdong, China: a pilot study

“…However, most of these studies occurred in schools or primary care settings rather than in the workplace [34][35][36]. Similarly, some school-based intervention studies also found significant effects on changing both smoking-related knowledge and attitudes [34,35]. Other school-based intervention studies reported [36] that despite smoking knowledge increasing substantially over the follow-up, the attitudes did not change, mainly because attitudes were more stable than knowledge and more resistant to change.…”

“…Smoking knowledge and attitudes scores were often used as parameters of intervention effectiveness. However, most of these studies occurred in schools or primary care settings rather than in the workplace [34][35][36]. Similarly, some school-based intervention studies also found significant effects on changing both smoking-related knowledge and attitudes [34,35].…”

The Long‐Term Effectiveness of a Multisetting Lifestyle Intervention on Tobacco‐Related Habits in Adolescent Boys and Girls: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

“…40,41 However, despite improving children's knowledge and attitudes regarding the health hazards of tobacco smoke, some interventions did not succeed in creating a smoke-free home. 42,43 It seems that parents should also be directly involved in a schoolbased program to change in-home smoking behavior. Accordingly, the TLGS school-based intervention is a part of the TLGS community trial that targets children's behavior in the family context and not separately.…”

“…Accordingly, some school‐based intervention changed parents' behaviors and, therefore had the potential to decrease in‐home smoking 40,41 . However, despite improving children's knowledge and attitudes regarding the health hazards of tobacco smoke, some interventions did not succeed in creating a smoke‐free home 42,43 . It seems that parents should also be directly involved in a school‐based program to change in‐home smoking behavior.…”

The Long-term Effectiveness of a Community-based Lifestyle Intervention on Tobacco-related Habits in Adolescent Boys and Girls: Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study

“…Accordingly, some school-based intervention changed parents' behaviors and, therefore had the potential to decrease in-home smoking (33,34). However, despite improving children's knowledge and attitudes regarding the health hazards of tobacco smoke, some interventions did not succeed in creating a smokefree home (35,36). It seems that parents should also be directly involved in a school-based program to change in-home smoking behavior.…”