BACKGROUND: As an important aspect of the COMMIT trial, worksite smoking-control consultations and supports were provided to employers in 11 diverse, moderate-sized communities. After a 4-year intervention period (1989-1992), impacts on worksite policies, support resources for smokers, and employee perceptions were assessed in these communities and in 11 matched Comparison communities. METHODS: Data from two surveys are reported here. In each of the 22 COMMIT communities, a sample of worksites within each of four size strata were surveyed to determine worksite policies, activities, and resources regarding smoking. Data from employees were obtained from independent community-wide surveys of community residents. RESULTS: Overall, 44% of the worksites surveyed reported having smoke-free policies, with no differences between Intervention and Comparison communities. Thirty-seven percent of Intervention community work-sites reported offering smoking cessation resources or assistance for employees during the period of the study, compared to 31% of Comparison community worksites (P = 0.04). Employees in Intervention communities, relative to those in Comparison communities, reported greater awareness of stop-smoking resources, but equivalent increases in worksite smoking bans. CONCLUSION: Although the level of worksite smoking-cessation activities was higher in Intervention than in Comparison communities, there remains a substantial need to increase the level of such activities and to integrate such activities with restrictive smoking policies.
RCT Entities:
BACKGROUND: As an important aspect of the COMMIT trial, worksite smoking-control consultations and supports were provided to employers in 11 diverse, moderate-sized communities. After a 4-year intervention period (1989-1992), impacts on worksite policies, support resources for smokers, and employee perceptions were assessed in these communities and in 11 matched Comparison communities. METHODS: Data from two surveys are reported here. In each of the 22 COMMIT communities, a sample of worksites within each of four size strata were surveyed to determine worksite policies, activities, and resources regarding smoking. Data from employees were obtained from independent community-wide surveys of community residents. RESULTS: Overall, 44% of the worksites surveyed reported having smoke-free policies, with no differences between Intervention and Comparison communities. Thirty-seven percent of Intervention community work-sites reported offering smoking cessation resources or assistance for employees during the period of the study, compared to 31% of Comparison community worksites (P = 0.04). Employees in Intervention communities, relative to those in Comparison communities, reported greater awareness of stop-smoking resources, but equivalent increases in worksite smoking bans. CONCLUSION: Although the level of worksite smoking-cessation activities was higher in Intervention than in Comparison communities, there remains a substantial need to increase the level of such activities and to integrate such activities with restrictive smoking policies.
Authors: Luke Wolfenden; Sharni Goldman; Fiona G Stacey; Alice Grady; Melanie Kingsland; Christopher M Williams; John Wiggers; Andrew Milat; Chris Rissel; Adrian Bauman; Margaret M Farrell; France Légaré; Ali Ben Charif; Hervé Tchala Vignon Zomahoun; Rebecca K Hodder; Jannah Jones; Debbie Booth; Benjamin Parmenter; Tim Regan; Sze Lin Yoong Journal: Cochrane Database Syst Rev Date: 2018-11-14