PREDICTORS OF BRIEF SMOKING INTERVENTION IN A MIDWIFERY SETTING

The aims of this study were: to assess current practice in smoking ces sation interventions by midwives and to examine the relationship betwe en the use of smoking intervention, practitioner characteristics and o rganizational factors. A mail-out survey was sent to a random sample o f 500 midwives. The response rate was 85% (n = 425). The results indic ated that most midwives used minimal interventions (advice and educati on) for at least some of their clients. However, the more skilled and more time-intensive forms of intervention such as counselling about me thods to quit, negotiating a quit date and follow-up were infrequently utilized. Moreover, participants estimated that half their smoking cl ients were not offered any advice about smoking. Organizational factor s such as: hospital policy for smoking intervention, type of hospital, size of hospital, cohesion of staff and work pressure predicted the u se of smoking interventions. Self-reported ability to intervene for sm oking and the level of assessment undertaken were practitioner charact eristics which predicted the use of smoking interventions, The barrier s that inhibit the use of smoking intervention by midwives are discuss ed and methods for change canvassed.