[Acceptance of a total smoking ban in schools: students' attitudes]. / Akzeptanz eines totalen Rauchverbots an Schulen: Einstellungen der Schülerinnen und Schüler.

AIM: The purpose of this study was to measure students' attitudes towards a total smoking ban in schools and towards impositions in cases of violation. METHOD: Cross-sectional survey of 1 738 students of 12 public schools in Schleswig-Holstein (grades 7-13, age 11-20 years). Data were collected by means of written questionnaires administered during class time. The following variables were assessed: attitude towards smoking ban, attitude towards impositions, age, sex, citizenship, perceived school climate, current smoking, lifetime smoking; for smokers, and additionally, the "Heaviness of Smoking Index". RESULTS: 76.5% of all students agreed with a total smoking ban, 66.4% agreed with the punishment of violations. Higher acceptance rates were found among girls, young students (11-15 years of age), for never-smokers, and for students who feel comfortable at school. Acceptance of the smoking ban is closely related to current smoking status: 93% of the non-smoking students, but only 14% of the daily smoking students agreed with the regulations. Refusal of the ban increased with increasing physical dependence. CONCLUSIONS: The intensification of the smoking ban in public schools meets approval by the majority of students. Smoking students should be more strongly involved in the implementation process, e.g., by supplemental cessation programmes.

[Motivational interviewing of unemployed acceptance and effects of counselling to improve health-related behaviour]. / Motivierende Gesprächsführung mit Arbeitslosen Akzeptanz und Ergebnisse einer Beratung zur Verbesserung gesundheitsrelevanter Verhaltensweisen.

PURPOSE: Conception, implementation and evaluation of a risk-reducing and health-promoting brief intervention addressed to unemployed. METHOD: Control-group-study with repeated measurement. 131 unemployed took part in the intervention group and 95 persons were matched according to age and sex and served as a reference group. The intervention group were recruited via flyers, press articles and several institutions, the reference group via the journal of a health insurance company. The reference group received a questionnaire twice assessing the same health-related variables as the intervention group. INTERVENTION: In the intervention group, life style-related variables - eating habits, exercising, smoking, alcohol consumption - were assessed via questionnaire. In a one-hour counselling session based on Motivational Interviewing, participants received an individual feedback on their results of the questionnaire, including a comparison against standards and a review of their personal risks and negative consequences as well as advice and recommendations, while the decision for or against a behaviour change was left to the participant. RESULTS: 85.2 % of the participants of the intervention reported that the counselling met their expectations, and 86.2 % would recommend the intervention to a friend. Statistically significant effects for the intervention group compared to the control group from pre- to post-measurement could be shown for alcohol consumption, eating habits, and exercise (p

[Development, implementation and evaluation of a program for the cessation of smoking for adolescents and young adult smokers]. / Entwicklung, Implementation und Evaluation eines Programms zur Entwöhnung vom Rauchen für jugendliche und junge erwachsene Raucher.

AIM: Assessment of the smoking cessation programme "Just be smoke free". METHOD: Follow-up data assessment of the participants who registered for the programme between April 2002 and March 2003. INTERVENTION: "Just be smoke free" is a smoking cessation programme targeting adolescents and young adults. Target groups are not only smokers, but also non- and ex-smokers. Moreover the project takes into account the different stages smokers undergo with regard to their motivation to stop smoking. Smokers who are not prepared to quit smoking are offered an individualised "smoker's profile" in order to sensitise them to their smoking behaviour, motives and risk situations. Smokers who are prepared to give up, are provided with a self-help cessation manual. As an incentive, on four occasions per year, participants can win cash prizes of up to 1,000 Euro. RESULTS: From April 2002 to March 2003, 1,417 smokers registered for the programme, of which 1,265 wanted to quit and 152 were interested in a "smoker's profile". The mean age of the participants was 21.5 years and 56.7 % were female. In addition, 2,132 used the internet page for the programme. 408 smokers took part in the follow-up measurement (retention rate 32.3 %). Of these, 46.1 % (N = 188) reported to have ceased to smoke. In a projected analysis considering those who did not take part in the follow-up measurement as smokers - the quit rate was 14.9 %. CONCLUSIONS: A large number of smoking adolescents and young adults were covered by the programme. The quit rate can be considered as good, also in comparison to international smoking cessation studies.

[Diffusion of the non-smoking campaign "Be Smart-Don't Start" between 1997 and 2003 in Germany]. / Dissemination der Nichtraucherkampagne "Be Smart-Don't Start" in den Jahren 1997 bis 2003 in Deutschland.

BACKGROUND: In Germany there is a high prevalence of smoking especially among young people. A comprehensive tobacco control programme combining several single measures is necessary. One of these measures should be health education programmes, including programmes for primary prevention of smoking. One recently developed primary smoking prevention programme is the competition "Be Smart - Don't Start". This programme has been implemented in Germany since the school year 1997/1998. The aim of this study is to describe the diffusion of the programme between 1997 and 2003. METHODS: The diffusion of the programme over a six-year period in Germany is described. School classes were clustered according to grade and region (German "Bundesländer"). The estimated number of participating pupils is compared to population data. RESULTS: Between 1997 and 2003 the number of participating classes has grown by the factor 18.2: from 462 school classes in the school year 1997/1998 to 8,402 school classes in the school year 2002/2003. In the school year 2002/2003, 218,452 pupils participated in the competition, which equals 5.64 % of the total population of the 11- to 14-year olds. The number of pupils participating in the programme varies to a high degree in Germany. Between 1.07 % and 12.2 % of the target group is reached via the programme. In some grades and regions of Germany up to 19 % of the target group participate in the competition. CONCLUSION: The competition "Be Smart - Don't Start" has been successfully implemented in Germany. To our present knowledge the programme is the biggest primary smoking prevention programme in Germany.

[Primary and secondary prevention of smoking in adolescents: results of the campaign "Be Smart - Don't Start"]. / Primär- und Sekundärprävention des Rauchens im Jugendalter: Effekte der Kampagne "Be Smart - Don't Start"

BACKGROUND: This paper examines the effectiveness of the "Smokefree Class Competition" with regard to primary and secondary prevention of smoking in adolescents. Each participating class has to decide if they want to be a "Smokefree Class" for the six-month period from fall to spring. Classes monitor their (non-)smoking behaviour and report it to the teacher regularly. Classes in which pupils refrain from smoking for this period of time participate in a prize draw, where they can win a number of attractive prizes. METHODS: A control group study with repeated measurements was carried out in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the competition. The sample consisted of 131 participating and non-participating classes ( N of the pupils = 2,142; mean age 12.9 years, SD = 0.98). Smoking status was assessed on two occasions: (a) prior to the beginning of the competition, and (b) 6 month after the end of the competition. RESULTS: With regard to the smoking status at baseline no differences could be found between the experimental and the control group (15.2 % vs. 18.5 % smoking pupils). In the follow-up measurement, pupils in the control group showed significantly higher prevalences of smoking than the experimental group in the post-measurement period (32.9 % vs. 25.5 % smoking pupils). More pupils in the experimental group stayed smokefree compared to the control group. No differential effects on smoking cessation could be found. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that participation in the competition could delay the onset of smoking in adolescents (primary prevention). The competition is not effective in smoking cessation in youth.

["Be smart--dont' start" campaign to prevent children from starting to smoke: an analysis according to type of school they attend]. / Verhütung des Einstiegs in das Rauchen durch die Kampagne "Be Smart--Don't Start": eine Analyse nach Schularten.

BACKGROUND: The present study describes the evaluation of a primary smoking prevention programme called "be smart--don't start", left. The programme is carried out as a competition and classes that participate decide not to smoke for a period of 6 months. Classes that stay smoke-free for that period of time can win a number of attractive prizes. Aim of this study was to examine, whether the programme is effective in delaying the onset of smoking in adolescents from different types of school in Germany. METHODS: In the years 1998/1999 a control-group study with repeated assessment was carried out. In the study, smoking status was assessed in 1677 pupils with a mean age of 12.8 years (SD = 0.97) on three occasions: prior to the beginning of the intervention, after the intervention and 6 months after the end of the intervention. Pupils came from four different types of school in Germany. RESULTS: After the intervention, in the control group 13.1 % of the pupils reported to have smoked during the previous 4 weeks, compared to 7.6 % in the intervention group (OR = 1.84 (1.31-2.58), p < 0.001). In the follow-up assessment, 20,9 % in the control group and 16,4 % in the intervention group reported to have smoked (OR = 1.34 (1.03-1.75), p < 0.05). With regard to different school types, the effect on the "Gesamtschulen" (comprehensive school; high school) was the strongest. CONCLUSION: The results suggests an effect of the intervention on the delay of onset of smoking in pupils.