["Be smart--don't start". Results of a non-smoking competition in Germany 1997-2007].
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this article is to describe the diffusion and evaluation of the smoking prevention programme "Be Smart--Don't Start", the German "Smoke Free Class Competition".


METHODS
The diffusion is described by means of numbers of participating classes and a representative population-based interview of 3,600 12-19-year-olds, which was conducted in 2005. Two controlled and two randomised controlled studies carried out in three countries (Germany, Finland and the Netherlands) with a total number of 12,812 adolescents (N of the intervention group: 8,086; N of the control group: 4,726) have been realised to evaluate the intervention.


RESULTS
In 2005 20% of all 12-15 year-olds and 9% of all 16-19-year-olds living in Germany had participated in the programme. From baseline to follow-up test 12-24 months later smoking increased by 21.78 per cent points in the control group, compared to an increase of 16.02 per cent points in the intervention group. At follow-up 27.57% of the pupils from the intervention group, and 35.91% of the pupils from the control group are actual smokers (odds ratio=0.65, 95% confidence interval: 0.57-0.74).


CONCLUSIONS
Participating rate in the competition is high. The results indicate that the competition might have a short-term effect and be able to delay the onset of smoking.
Hanewinkel
R
R
Institut für Therapie- und Gesundheitsforschung, IFT-Nord, Keil, Germany. hanewinkel@ift-nord.de
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003163:Competitive Behavior; D005260:Female; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention