Abstract:

Interventions: We compared a complex intervention combining personalised feedback on home air quality, behavioural support and nicotine replacement therapy for temporary abstinence with usual care. Main outcomes: The primary outcome was change in air quality in the home, measured as average 16–24  hours levels of particulate matter of  < 2.5  µm diameter (PM2.5), between baseline and 12 weeks. Secondary outcomes included changes in maximum PM2.5, proportion of time PM2.5 exceeded WHO recommended levels of maximum exposure of 25  µg/mg3, child salivary cotinine, caregivers’ cigarette consumption, nicotine dependence, determination to stop smoking, quit attempts and quitting altogether during the intervention. Results: Arithmetic mean PM2.5 decreased significantly more (by 35.2 %; 95%  CI 12.7% to 51.9 %) in intervention than in usual care households, as did the proportion of time PM2.5 exceeded 25  µg/mg3, child salivary cotinine concentrations, caregivers’ cigarette consumption in the home, nicotine dependence, determination to quit and likelihood of having made a quit attempt. Conclusions: By reducing exposure to SHS in the homes of children who live with smokers unable or unwilling to quit, this intervention offers huge potential to reduce children’s’ tobacco-related harm.