title: Smoking cessation advice and non-pharmacological support in a national sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers and ex-smokers.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To describe recall among a national sample of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers and recent ex-smokers of having received advice to quit smoking and referral to non-pharmacological cessation support from health professionals, and their association with quit attempts.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Talking About The Smokes project used a quota sampling design to recruit 1721 smokers and ex-smokers who had quit ≤ 12 months previously from communities served by 34 Aboriginal community-controlled health services and one community in the Torres Strait. Baseline surveys were conducted from April 2012 to October 2013. Results for daily smokers were compared with 1412 Australian daily smokers surveyed by the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project between 2006 and 2011.
  
  
  METHODS
  Participants' recall of having been: seen by a health professional in the past year, asked if they smoke, advised to quit, and referred to other cessation support services; and having made a quit attempt in the past year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with other Australian daily smokers, higher proportions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander daily smokers saw a health professional in the past year (76% v 68.1%) and were advised to quit smoking (75% v 56.2% of those seen). Most Aboriginal and Torres Strait daily smokers who saw a health professional recalled being asked if they smoke (93%). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander daily smokers who had been advised to quit were more likely to have made a quit attempt in the past year than those who had not (odds ratio, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.58-2.52). Among all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander smokers and recent ex-smokers who had been advised to quit, 49% were given a pamphlet or brochure on how to quit, but fewer were referred to the telephone Quitline (28%), a quit-smoking website (27%) or a local quit course, group or clinic (16%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander daily smokers recalled being recently advised by a health professional to quit, which was associated with making a quit attempt.
authors.affiliation: Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, NT, Australia. david.thomas@menzies.edu.au.
authors.forename: David P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Health Council, Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Pele T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Bennet
authors.affiliation: University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Viki L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Briggs
authors.affiliation: James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia.
authors.forename: Sophia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Couzos
authors.affiliation: Aboriginal Health & Medical Research Council, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Jennifer M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Hunt
authors.affiliation: University of South Australia, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors.forename: Kathryn S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Panaretto
authors.affiliation: Menzies School of Health Research, Darwin, NT, Australia.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.affiliation: Cancer Council Victoria, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borland
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D055812:Community-Based Participatory Research; D003376:Counseling / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012017:Referral and Consultation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012494:Sampling Studies; D016540:Smoking Cessation; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D055815:Young Adult