Effectiveness of proactive quitline counselling for smoking parents recruited through primary schools: results of a randomized controlled trial.

AIMS: To test the effectiveness of tailored quitline (telephone) counselling among smoking parents recruited into cessation support through their children's primary schools.

DESIGN: Two-arm randomized controlled trial with 3- and 12-month follow-up.

SETTING: Proactive telephone counselling was administered by the Dutch national quitline.

PARTICIPANTS: Smoking parents were recruited through their children's primary schools and received either intensive quitline support in combination with tailored supplementary materials (n = 256) or a standard self-help brochure (n = 256).

MEASUREMENTS: The primary outcome was 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at 12-month follow-up. Also measured were baseline characteristics, use of and adherence to nicotine replacement therapy and pharmacotherapy, smoking characteristics and implementation of a home smoking ban.

FINDINGS: Parents who received quitline counselling were more likely to report 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at 12-month assessment [34.0 versus 18.0%, odds ratio (OR) = 2.35, confidence interval (CI) = 1.56-3.54] than those who received a standard self-help brochure. Parents who received quitline counselling were more likely to use nicotine replacement therapy (P < 0.001) than those who received a standard self-help brochure. Among parents who did not achieve abstinence, those who received quitline counselling smoked fewer cigarettes at 3-month (P < 0.001) and 12-month assessment (P < 0.001), were more likely to make a quit attempt (P < 0.001), to achieve 24 hours' abstinence (P < 0.001) and to implement a complete home smoking ban (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS: Intensive quitline support tailored to smoking parents is an effective method for helping parents quit smoking and promoting parenting practices that protect their children from adverse effects of smoking.