title: Evaluating NSW SmokeCheck: a culturally specific smoking cessation training program for health professionals working in Aboriginal health.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This paper reports on the evaluation of a culturally specific smoking cessation training program (SmokeCheck) for health professionals working in Aboriginal health in NSW. Training aimed to increase professionals' knowledge, skills and confidence to offer an evidence-based quit smoking brief intervention to Aboriginal clients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using a quasi-experimental pre-post with 165 matched intervention participants, surveys were completed immediately before (baseline) and 6-months post training. The control group were on a waiting list for 6 months before receiving the intervention, and completed surveys at baseline, immediately before training and 3-6 months following training. Surveys assessed knowledge, skills and confidence to deliver the intervention, availability of resources, and smoke-free status of homes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Post training, a higher proportion of intervention group participants were more confident talking about health effects (22%, p=0.001), offering quit advice (27%, p=0.001), assessing readiness to quit (31%, p=0.001) and initiating a conversation about smoking (24%, p=0.001). After training, more participants reported providing advice about NRT (15%, p=0.001), ETS (12%, p=0.006), and reducing tobacco use (10%, p=0.034), but no changes were reported in smoking or intention to quit. Conversely, the control group showed no significant changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SmokeCheck training strengthened participants' knowledge, skills and confidence to deliver a smoking cessation intervention to Aboriginal clients.'
authors.affiliation: Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, New South Wales.
authors.forename: Shane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hearn
authors.forename: Hannah
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Nancarrow
authors.forename: Miranda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rose
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Massi
authors.forename: Marilyn
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wise
authors.forename: Katherine
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Conigrave
authors.forename: Ian
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Barnes
authors.forename: Adrian
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bauman
mesh_terms: D054521:Cultural Competency; D007722:Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D007318:Inservice Training / Q000458:organization & administration; D009517:New South Wales; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000208:ethnology / Q000379:methods*