Author of

• 13697

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  P1.05 - Poster Session/ Prevention and Tobacco Control (ID 215)

  • Event: WCLC 2015
  • Type: Poster
  • Track: Prevention and Tobacco Control
  • Presentations: 1
  • Moderators:
  • Coordinates: 9/07/2015, 09:30 - 17:00, Exhibit Hall (Hall B+C)

  • 13701

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    P1.05-004 - Smoking Prevention Intervention with School Classes at a University Hospital by Thoracic Surgeon and Pulmonologist (ID 901)

    09:30 - 09:30  |  Author(s): D. Schneiter
    • Abstract

    Background:
    Smoking prevention in schoolchildren with the aim to inform and prevent smoking initiation has been widely studied and has shown variable results. Interventions provided by physicians in a hospital setting have been rarely reported. Here we show the feasibility and gain of knowledge of our smoking prevention project in a hospital setting.
    
    Methods:
    Interventions performed from November 2009 - December 2014 were evaluated. Overall 790 children participated in our preventive intervention. A 7-item questionnaire was provided to the school classes (Grades 6 to 10) before and after a two-hour smoking prevention intervention consisting of anatomical models, oral presentations, videos, patient interviews and hands-on lung function tests. The goal was to show the anatomical and physiological basics as well as age-based information about the harms of smoking. During the intervention the children have been motivated to be actively involved. Class selection has been performed for groups of children in a highly vulnerable phase of age before smoking initiation.
    
    Results:
    The baseline questionnaire was completed by 768 children, the one after intervention by 719. The knowledge about which organs are affected by smoking increased from 7.1-99.3% to 64.5-99.5% (p<0.01). While only 58.9% knew that only a minority of people is able to quit smoking successfully, 96.3% answered the question correctly after intervention (p<0.001). Prior to the intervention only 75.6% believed that minor tobacco consumption is not damaging which increased to 87.8% after the teaching session (p<0.05). Smoking hookah was believed to be less harmful than cigarettes by 32.2% of children decreasing to 8.3% after the intervention (p<0.001).
    
    Conclusion:
    Information on health effects provided by lung specialists in the hospital leads to a statistically significant increase in knowledge as assessed by a short questionnaire. The intervention is feasible and well received. This kind of interventions might help to prevent schoolchildren from smoking in a highly vulnerable phase of age.