Adolescent smoking prevention--primary health care in cooperation with local schools. A controlled intervention study.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate a secondary school smoking prevention program in a small rural Norwegian municipality.


METHODS
The project applied grade specific intervention strategies to all students grades 6-9 and comprised a total of 32 lessons over a period of 3 years, with high student activity. A non-randomised control group was constituted by all 6th-9th grade students in municipalities of similar characteristics in the same county. Results were recorded in annual class-based surveys.


METHODS
The intervention group totalled 187 and the control group 364 students.


METHODS
Prevalence of daily and occasional smoking and number of cigarettes smoked, during the intervention period.


RESULTS
An 80% lower rate of daily smoking and 50% fewer cigarettes smoked by daily smokers. Lower rates of smoking in 9th grade occurred mostly among girls.


CONCLUSIONS
The project resulted in a lower recruitment of daily smokers up to grade 9, as well as fewer cigarettes smoked by daily smokers. The intervention was more successful among girls than boys.
Svoen
N
N
Flora municipality Health Centre, Norway.
Schei
E
E
D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007373:Interinstitutional Relations; D008297:Male; D009664:Norway / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D015397:Program Evaluation; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012572:School Health Services; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention