Randomized controlled trial of a social support ('buddy') intervention for smoking cessation.
OBJECTIVE
To assess the effectiveness of including a social support intervention ('buddy system') in a group treatment programme to aid smoking cessation.


METHODS
Five hundred and sixty-three smokers attended groups at a smokers' clinic. These groups were randomized either to be (a) groups in which smokers were paired with another person to provide mutual support (buddy condition: n=237 in 14 groups) or (b) to receive the same treatment without the buddy component (control: n=326 in 20 groups). Participants were seen weekly for the first 4 weeks after stopping then followed up again after 26 weeks.


RESULTS
Smokers in the buddy condition were no more likely than smokers in the control condition to stay abstinent at 1, 4 or 26 weeks. The effect was in the right direction at week one post-quit but after controlling for potential confounders the difference was not significant (odds ratio=1.45 (95% CI; 0.92-2.29), p=0.06).


CONCLUSIONS
We were unable to show that a buddy system improved abstinence rates of group treatment programmes. This might be due to the high level of social support already achieved through the groups.


CONCLUSIONS
The buddy system is a simple and very low cost addition to a group treatment programme; but the results from this study suggest that the kind of buddy system tested may not add substantially to the success rates. However there may be merits in a more intensive or protracted form of buddying.
May
Sylvia
S
Health Behaviour Unit, University College London, London, UK. sivpiv@aol.com
West
Robert
R
Hajek
Peter
P
McEwen
Andy
A
McRobbie
Hayden
H
D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D001944:Breath Tests; D002245:Carbon Dioxide / Q000032:analysis; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D004739:England; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006379:Helping Behavior; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D010379:Peer Group; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012107:Research Design; D012657:Self-Help Groups / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012907:Smoking / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012944:Social Support; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D002245:Carbon Dioxide