Reduction of secondary smoke exposure in asthmatic children: parent counseling.

Epidemiological evidence shows that children's exposure to secondhand tobacco smoke increases their risk of respiratory illness. This study evaluated five families and their asthmatic children (aged 5-14 years) in an outpatient counseling program for reducing the children's exposure to passive smoking. Intervention included biweekly counseling/instructions for parents to limit their children's tobacco exposure. A multiple-baseline, quasiexperimental design was used for self-reported measures of the children's smoke exposure and the parent's smoking frequency. Counseling was associated with smoke exposure reduction of 40-80% from baseline for each of 5 children, with most improvements sustained during follow-up. This study provides support for the development of tobacco exposure prevention programs for children with pulmonary disease.