Interventions Can Cut Children’S Smoke Exposure At Home

INTERVENTIONS CAN CUT CHILDREN’S SMOKE EXPOSURE AT HOME

MPR Publications
Nov 6 2013

(HealthDay News) – Intensive interventions aimed at reducing children’s
exposure to second hand smoke (SHS) at home are effective, according
to a study published online Nov. 4 in Pediatrics.

To assess the effectiveness of interventions to reduce children’s SHS
exposure, Arusyak Harutyunyan, MD, MPH, from the American University
of Armenia in Yerevan, and colleagues randomized 250 households
with children aged 2-6 years to an intensive intervention (counseling
sessions, distribution of tailored educational brochures, demonstration
of home air pollution, and two follow-up counseling telephone calls)
or minimal intervention (distribution of standard leaflets).

The researchers found that the four-month follow-up geometric mean
(GM) of hair nicotine concentration was 17% lower in the intervention
group than in the control group (P=0.239), after adjustment for
baseline hair nicotine concentration, child’s age, and gender. In
the intervention group, but not in the control group, the GM of hair
nicotine decreased significantly from 0.3 to 0.23ng/mg (P=0.024). At
follow-up, both groups had an increased proportion of households with
smoking restrictions and decreased exposure of children to SHS.

Children’s less-than-daily exposure to SHS was increased in the
intervention group at follow-up, with an adjusted odds 1.87 times
higher than in the control group (P=0.077).

“Intensive intervention is effective in decreasing children’s exposure
to SHS through educating mothers and promoting smoking restrictions
at home,” the authors write.

Abstract Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress