title: A school-based peer-led smoking prevention intervention with extracurricular activities: the LILT-LdP cluster randomized controlled trial design and study population.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Few school programs are effective in preventing adolescents' tobacco smoking initiation. The "Lega contro i Tumori - Luoghi di Prevenzione" is a cluster randomized controlled trial designed to evaluate a school-based peer-led smoking prevention intervention with extracurricular activities for students aged 14-15 years. This paper presents the study design and the baseline characteristics of the study population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty secondary schools located in the Reggio Emilia province took part in the study. Five schools were excluded because they already participated in smoking prevention interventions. The schools were randomized to control or intervention arms. The study population consisted of students attending the first grade. Components of the intervention included 1) the out-of-school "Smoking Prevention Tour" (SPT) at the "Luoghi di Prevenzione" Center, a 4-hour (4 sessions) extracurricular activity; 2) the "Smoke-free Schools" intervention, combining a life-skills-based peer-led intervention at school, an in-depth lesson on one of the SPT sessions, and enforcement surveillance of the school antismoking policy. Tobacco use was studied through a questionnaire administered before and 6 months after the intervention.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eleven high schools and 9 vocational secondary schools took part in the study for a total of 2,476 out of 3,050 eligible students (81.2%). The proportions of respondents in high schools and vocational secondary schools were 90.9% and 64.5%, respectively (P <0.001). Intervention and control arms showed a different distribution of gender and school type, whereas no difference was observed in any tobacco-use characteristic.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study is one of the few Italian trials to evaluate the effectiveness of a school-based program for preventing smoking initiation.
authors.forename: Sandra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bosi
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gorini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tamelli
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Storani
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carreras
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.forename: Elias
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Allara
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Angelini
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Faggiano
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D009042:Motivation; D010379:Peer Group; D011322:Primary Prevention / Q000379:methods*; D015397:Program Evaluation; D012107:Research Design; D012574:Schools; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D012931:Social Environment; D012944:Social Support; D013334:Students / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome