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Abstract
Objectives In 2014, a hospital-based smoking prevention programme ‘Nichtrauchen ist clever!’ (NIC!) for adolescents aged 12–14 was initiated. The aim of the study was to evaluate participants’ smoking behaviour and to explore the acceptance of the programme, and participants’ awareness on smoking-related diseases and factors that promote smoking initiation.
Design We performed a cross-sectional survey to evaluate participant’s acceptance of the NIC! program and their smoking habits. A total of 1658 participants completed the survey between January 2016 and December 2019. A qualitative approach, including analysing feedback from students gathered at 77 prevention events between June 2014 and December 2019, was used to assess their view on reasons for smoking initiation and their knowledge about smoking-related diseases.
Results Twenty-six per cent (429/1658) have already tried tobacco products (so called triers), specifically cigarettes, electronic (e)-cigarettes and shisha. The use of e-cigarettes was most popular among triers 58% (252/429). Eighty-eight per cent of participants (1408/1604) reported they had acquired good or excellent knowledge about smoking, and 89% (1439/1617) of participants stated that they intend not to smoke in the future. Particularly lung cancer and cancer in general, heart—and vascular diseases were frequently mentioned to be smoking related; where, on the other hand, a large number of relevant smoking-associated diseases were mentioned irregularly. Peer pressure, stress and coolness were identified as reasons for smoking initiation, whereas the influence of marketing and multimedia, as well as socioeconomic—and lifestyle-related factors on smoking behaviour was barely noticed.
Conclusion NIC! had a high acceptance among the participants and a large number of students reported relevant gain of knowledge. We identified important knowledge-gaps relating to smoking initiation and smoking-related diseases, helping to improve further smoking prevention approaches.
- preventive medicine
- public health
- internal medicine
Data availability statement
All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information.
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Data availability statement
All data relevant to the study are included in the article or uploaded as supplementary information.
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Footnotes
Contributors AM and TB developed and implemented Nichtrauchen ist clever! at the University Hospital Basel. AM, TB and MM have set up the present study, performed data collection, data evaluation and writing the manuscript. AV and MJZ contributed to data evaluation and writing the manuscript. AM, TB, AV and MJZ contributed to the national distribution of the programme. TB and AM had access to the data. All authors approved the final version of the manuscript (AM guarantor).
Funding Initiation of the program Nichtrauchen ist clever! was financially supported by PFIZER: unrestricted medical grant, Research Pool, Medical Outpatient Department University Hospital Basel, Basel, Switzerland, Gesundheitsdepartement Basel-Stadt, Basel, Switzerland; Kahane Foundation, Switzerland; Fondation sana, Bern, Switzerland; Cardiovascular Research Foundation Basel, Switzerland. Additional funding from the University of Basel's Publication Fund for 'open access'.
Competing interests None declared.
Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.
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