title: Do school based anti-smoking campaigns delivered by oral health therapists work?
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The dental profession has a pivotal role in cancer prevention. In Queensland, oral health therapists (OHTs) are in a unique position to provide quality smoking cessation programmes and intervention strategies to young adolescents through the school based oral health services they provide.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study undertook a smoking cessation and prevention programme targeted to female high school students in a dental setting. An oral health therapist delivered an anti-smoking message and educated adolescents of the health-risk effects of smoking.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 1217 female students were recruited with 621 (51%) in the intervention group and 596 (49%) in the control group. There was a significant improvement in the knowledge of both systemic and oral health effects of smoking in the intervention group (p < 0.04). The results of the study demonstrated that the dental setting is an effective avenue for educating young individuals on smoking related conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A smoking cessation and prevention programme targeted to female high school students in a dental setting provides a novel means of delivering an anti-smoking message and educating adolescents of the health-risk effects of smoking.
authors: School of Dentistry, The University of Queensland, 200 Turbot St., Brisbane, QLD 4000. m.matias@uq.edu.au
authors: M A
authors: MA
authors: Matias
authors: S R
authors: SR
authors: Steindl
authors: K A
authors: KA
authors: Plonka
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Pukkallus
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Palmer
authors: T
authors: T
authors: Holcombe
authors: G J
authors: GJ
authors: Seymour
authors: R I
authors: RI
authors: Marshall
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000379:methods / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D009909:Oral Health / Q000193:education*; D011793:Queensland; D012571:School Dentistry; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention
keywords: Smoking cessation; dental setting; female adolescents; oral health therapist; school based