title: Assessing the Quality of Goal Setting in Behavioural Support for Smoking Cessation and its Association with Outcomes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Smoking cessation behavioural support can be effective but practitioners differ markedly in effectiveness, possibly due to variation in the quality of delivery of key behaviour change techniques, such as goal setting (i.e. setting a quit date).
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to (i) develop a reliable method for assessing the quality of practitioners' support in setting quit dates and (ii) assess whether quality predicts initiation of abstinence as a first step to quitting.
  
  
  METHODS
  A scale for scoring the quality of goal setting was developed from national guidance documents and applied to 85 transcribed behavioural support sessions. Inter-rater reliability was assessed. Associations between quality scores and quit attempts were assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 10-item scale produced had good inter-rater reliability (Kappa = 0.68). Higher quality goal setting was associated with increased self-reported quit attempts (p < .001; OR = 2.60, 95 % CI 1.54-4.40). The scale components 'set a clear quit date' (χ (2) (2, N = 85) = 22.3, p < .001) and 'within an appropriate timeframe' (χ (2) (2, N = 85) = 15.5, p < .001) were independently associated with quit attempts.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is possible to reliably assess the quality of goal setting in smoking cessation behavioural support. Higher quality of goal setting is associated with greater likelihood of initiating quit attempts.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, City University London, London, EC1V 0HB, UK. Fabiana.Lorencatto.2@city.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Fabiana
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Lorencatto
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: Department of Epidemiology & Public Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bruguera
authors.affiliation: National Addictions Centre, UK Centre for Tobacco and Alcohol Studies, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, London, SE5 8BB, UK.
authors.forename: Leonie S
authors.initials: LS
authors.lastname: Brose
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001521:Behavior Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006040:Goals; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology*; D012944:Social Support
keywords: Behavioural support; Fidelity; Goal setting; Quality; Smoking cessation