title: Comparison of brief interventions in primary care on smoking and excessive alcohol consumption: a population survey in England.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Brief interventions have a modest but meaningful effect on promoting smoking cessation and reducing excessive alcohol consumption. Guidelines recommend offering such advice opportunistically and regularly but incentives vary between the two behaviours.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To use representative data from the perspective of patients to compare the prevalence and characteristics of people who smoke or drink excessively and who receive a brief intervention.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was from a representative sample of 15,252 adults from household surveys in England.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recall of brief interventions on smoking and alcohol use, sociodemographic information, and smoking and alcohol consumption patterns were assessed among smokers and those who drink excessively (AUDIT score of ≥8), who visited their GP surgery in the previous year.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1775 smokers, 50.4% recalled receiving brief advice on smoking in the previous year. Smokers receiving advice compared with those who did not were more likely to be older (odds ratio [OR] 17-year increments 1.19, 95% confidence interval [CI] =1.06 to 1.34), female (OR 1.35, 95% CI =1.10 to 1.65), have a disability (OR 1.44, 95% CI = 1.11 to 1.88), have made more quit attempts in the previous year (compared with no attempts: one attempt, OR 1.65, 95% CI = 1.32 to 2.08; ≥2 attempts, OR 2.02, 95% CI =1.49 to 2.74), and have greater nicotine dependence (OR 1.17, 95% CI =1.05 to 1.31) but were less likely to have no post-16 qualifications (OR 0.81, 95% CI = 0.66 to 1.00). Of 1110 people drinking excessively, 6.5% recalled receiving advice in their GP surgery on their alcohol consumption in the previous year. Those receiving advice compared with those who did not had higher AUDIT scores (OR 1.17, 95% CI =1.12 to 1.23) and were less likely to be female (OR 0.44, 95% CI = 0.23 to 0.87).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Whereas approximately half of smokers in England visiting their GP in the past year report having received advice on cessation, <10% of those who drink excessively report having received advice on their alcohol consumption.
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre;
authors.forename: Jamie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.affiliation: Health Behaviour Research Centre;
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: West
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Angus
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beard
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield.
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brennan
authors.affiliation: Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London.
authors.forename: Colin
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Drummond
authors.affiliation: School of Social and Community Medicine, University of Bristol, Bristol.
authors.forename: Matthew
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hickman
authors.affiliation: School of Health and Related Research, University of Sheffield, Sheffield.
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Holmes
authors.affiliation: Institute of Health and Society, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne.
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kaner
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical, Educational and Health Psychology, University College London, London.
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Michie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004739:England / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011159:Population Surveillance; D015995:Prevalence; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D000074606:Smoking Prevention
keywords: alcohol drinking; brief advice; brief intervention; counselling; smoking