title: A cluster-randomized trial on smoking cessation in German student nurses.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the effect of a specific intervention on smoking cessation in health professionals.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between 2003 and 2004, a cluster-randomized trial was performed in 32 schools of nursing with 956 student nurses in Southwest Germany. Students in the intervention group received three teaching units each lasting 1 day on how to give advice to people who want to stop smoking. The program addressed only nurses' professional role and not their individual smoking behavior. After a follow-up of 13 months, the change in smoking status was determined. Secondary endpoints included changes of smoking-related factors like stages of smoking or knowledge about health risks.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Change of smoking status in the desired direction (stopping smoking or not starting smoking) occurred less often in the intervention than in the control group, but the difference did not reach statistical significance (odds ratio 0.69, 95% confidential interval: 0.43, 1.10). The program was successful in delivering medical knowledge (P=0.0056) and in enhancing competence in giving advice to smokers (P<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The applied approach is able to improve student nurses' medical knowledge and to augment their competence in giving advice to smokers, but it is not an effective strategy to reduce their own smoking behavior.
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology, University of Ulm, Germany. kilian.rapp@uni-ulm.de
authors.forename: Kilian
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Rapp
authors.forename: Gisela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Büchele
authors.forename: Anke G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Jähnke
authors.forename: Stephan K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Weiland
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004506:Education, Nursing; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D024802:Nurse's Role / Q000523:psychology; D012907:Smoking / Q000628:therapy; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013338:Students, Nursing / Q000523:psychology*