| Methods |
Setting: Workplace and community, USA
Recruitment: Callers to a hotline, initially from 4 workplaces, targeting blue‐collar workers, widened to general community to meet targets. Callers gave oral consent and baseline assessment of smoking characteristics prior to randomisation |
| Participants |
382 (341 smokers, 41 recent quitters). Most in contemplation or action SoC, 24% 'blue‐collar', 41% M, av. age 41, av. cigs/day 18 ‐ 22 |
| Interventions |
1. Callers to hotline received general information based on fact sheets, and sent S‐H material
2. Callers were given information based on stage, and encouraged to take next step in cessation process. Script tailored to blue‐collar workers using focus groups |
| Outcomes |
Abstinence at 6 m (PP) (subset followed to 12 m)
Validation: saliva samples sought but not tested. Surrogates asked to confirm status |
| Notes |
Comparison between stage‐based and non‐specific brief counselling
The stage‐model counselling was based on the approach used by the NCIS. Kinne 1991 gives data about call rates from original target worksites. Average call length 34 mins for stage‐based, 20 mins for standard |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Random sequence generation (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
Randomised, method not described |
| Allocation concealment (selection bias) |
Unclear risk |
No details given |
| Blinding of outcome assessment (detection bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
Saliva samples sought but not tested; surrogates asked to confirm status |
| Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias)
All outcomes |
Low risk |
17% lost to follow‐up at 6 m, no significant difference between groups, included as smokers |
