A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Smoking Cessation Counseling Provided During Child Hospitalization for Respiratory Illness

The impact of parental smoking on children is enormous. Injury and illness related to parental smoking result in 6,200 excess pediatric deaths per year, which places smoking as the leading preventable cause of death in US children. Parental smoking doubles the risk of child hospitalization for respiratory illness therefore pediatricians have frequent contact with smoking parents. A single study has previously investigated the effect of child hospitalization on parental smoking cessation. Smoking caregivers of children hospitalized for respiratory illness at the University of New Mexico were offered a smoking cessation intervention during the child's hospitalization. Participants were randomized to receive either a brief anti-smoking message or more extensive counseling based on current clinical practice guidelines. Forty-two parents enrolled in the study. Fourteen percent of participants in the counseling group and 5% in the brief message group were self-reported quitters at 6 months. A significant percentage of smoking parents of children hospitalized for respiratory illness are willing to receive smoking cessation counseling while their child is in the hospital. Abstinence rates appear similar to other pediatric office-based interventions. Child hospitalization should be considered an important opportunity to provide parents with smoking cessation services, particularly since many smoking parents will not have access to these services elsewhere.