Physician tobacco advice to preteens in a smoking-prevention randomized trial: steering clear

J Pediatr Psychol. 2005 Jun;30(4):371-6. doi: 10.1093/jpepsy/jsi031. Epub 2005 Feb 23.

Abstract

Objective: To examine preadolescent and parental recall of tobacco prevention messages by health care providers.

Methods: As part of a smoking prevention trial, providers were cued to reinforce the study and advise intervention participants (N=4,026) not to use tobacco. All parents were surveyed at baseline; children were surveyed at 20 months; and a subsample (504 households) was surveyed at 6 and 12 months to assess discussion of tobacco use prevention and other health behavior topics by providers as well as susceptibility and experimentation with tobacco among children.

Results: During the 20-month follow-up, less than 25% of children recalled a provider discussing tobacco use prevention. Recall of exposure to tobacco prevention messages at school (68%), from parents (53%), and from mass media (71%) was higher.

Conclusions: Physician tobacco counseling is occurring at lower rates in pre-adolescents than it is in adults. A chart reminder to providers was insufficient to create a meaningful effect.

Publication types

  • Clinical Trial
  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Child
  • Cohort Studies
  • Counseling* / methods
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Mental Recall
  • Parents / psychology
  • Physician-Patient Relations*
  • Preventive Health Services / methods*
  • Psychology, Child
  • Smoking Prevention*
  • Surveys and Questionnaires
  • Treatment Outcome