Reducing secondhand smoke exposure at home in rural areas, Thailand: a cluster randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure cause of morbidity and mortality, especially in non-smokers and children. This study tested the effectiveness of an intervention for reducing exposure to SHS in homes by creating smoke-free environment where 1 to 5-year old infants reside.METHODS: A cluster randomised controlled trial was conducted in a rural geographic area of Thailand, with 47 villages assigned to either an intervention or a comparison group. The intervention consisted of self-education and infographic material, together with 45 text messages delivered via short message service. The control group received the self-education after the intervention at 3 months. The primary outcome was assessed by parent´s self-reported in exposure to SHS in home. Multiple logistic regression was used to test the effect of the intervention.RESULTS: The effects of the intervention increased the likelihood of a reducing exposure to SHS at home by 1.8-fold (95%CI 1.04 to 3.11). The average number of days of SHS exposure at home (7 days) also decreased by –1.25-fold (95%CI –1.85 to –0.66) in the intervention group.CONCLUSION: The effectiveness of the intervention in reducing SHS exposure at home by a creating a smoke-free environment was observed to be statistically significant.

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Free healthy breakfasts in primary schools: a cluster randomised controlled trial of a policy intervention in Wales, UK

Public Health Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s1368980010001886 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 219-226 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Simon Murphy ◽

GF Moore ◽

K Tapper ◽

R Lynch ◽

R Clarke ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Primary Schools ◽

Controlled Trial ◽

Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial ◽

Breakfast Skipping ◽

Cluster Randomised ◽

Positive Attitudes ◽

Randomised Controlled ◽

At Home

AbstractObjectiveThe present study evaluated the impact of a national school programme of universal free healthy breakfast provision in Wales, UK.DesignA cluster randomised controlled trial with repeated cross-sectional design and a 12-month follow-up. Primary outcomes were breakfast skipping, breakfast diet and episodic memory. Secondary outcomes were frequency of eating breakfast at home and at school, breakfast attitudes, rest-of-day diet and class behaviour.SettingPrimary schools in nine local education authority areas.SubjectsA total of 4350 students (aged 9–11 years) at baseline and 4472 at follow-up in 111 schools.ResultsStudents in intervention schools reported significantly higher numbers of healthy food items consumed at breakfast and more positive attitudes towards breakfast eating at 12 months. Parents in intervention schools reported significantly higher rates of consumption of breakfast at school and correspondingly lower rates of breakfast consumption at home. No other significant differences were found.ConclusionsThe intervention did not reduce breakfast skipping; rather, pupils substituted breakfast at home for breakfast at school. However, there were improvements in children’s nutritional intake at breakfast time, if not the rest of the day, and more positive attitudes to breakfast, which may have implications for life-course dietary behaviours. There was no impact on episodic memory or classroom behaviour, which may require targeting breakfast skippers.

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