Effectiveness of school programs in tobacco control.
The authors reviewed published data dealing with the effectiveness of school programs in tobacco control. Most of the evaluated school programs showed at least partial effect including namely improved knowledge level, decreased prevalence of smoking initiation and continuation. Less successful was achieving of behavioural changes and social resistance. Effect of the school programs can be significantly amplified by combination with other interventions such as mass media campaigns, parent involvement and extracurricular activities. The main problem of the studies in this field is a relatively short follow-up time not allowing considering findings as relevant evidences for long-term effects of school programs. However, even assuming only time limited decrease of prevalence of smoking among intervened students, such temporary effect leads to the decrease of a lifetime cigarette exposure having beneficial health effects. Considering social, demographic and cultural aspects of the epidemiology of smoking habit, evidence based data in this field, relevant for Central and Eastern Countries, are required. Such situation calls for authentic trials and studies respecting specific conditions in these countries.
Baska
T
T
Institute of Epidemiology, Jessenius Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Slovak Republic. baska@jfmed.uniba.sk
Straka
S
S
Basková
M
M
Mad'ar
R
R
D000293:Adolescent; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012572:School Health Services; D000074606:Smoking Prevention