Do self-help materials containing information about how to give up smoking help people to quit

Lancaster T, Stead LF

Published Online:

April 15, 2009

Advice and behavioural counselling can help smokers to quit. Giving the same type of support via written materials or other media has not been found to be very helpful, although there is likely to be a small benefit for people given no other support. Tailoring materials to provide individualized support is more effective. Comparisons between different types of standard materials have generally failed to show differences between them.

Abstract (click to read)

Background:

Many smokers give up smoking on their own, but materials giving advice and information may help them and increase the number who quit successfully.

Objectives:

The aims of this review were to determine the effectiveness of different forms of self-help materials, compared with no treatment and with other minimal contact strategies; the effectiveness of adjuncts to self help, such as computer-generated feedback, telephone hotlines and pharmacotherapy; and the effectiveness of approaches tailored to the individual compared with non-tailored materials.

Search strategy:

We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group trials register using the terms 'self-help', 'manual*' or 'booklet*'. Date of the most recent search November 2008.

Selection criteria:

We included randomized trials of smoking cessation with follow up of at least six months, where at least one arm tested a self-help intervention. We defined self help as structured programming for smokers trying to quit without intensive contact with a therapist.

Data collection and analysis:

We extracted data in duplicate on the participants, the nature of the self-help materials, the amount of face-to-face contact given to intervention and to control conditions, outcome measures, method of randomization, and completeness of follow up.

The main outcome measure was abstinence from smoking after at least six months follow up in people smoking at baseline. We used the most rigorous definition of abstinence in each trial, and biochemically validated rates when available. Where appropriate, we performed meta-analysis using a fixed-effect model.

Main results:

We identified 68 trials. Thirty-four compared self-help materials to no intervention or tested materials used in addition to advice. In 12 trials in which self help was compared to no intervention there was a pooled effect that just reached statistical significance (N = 15,711; risk ratio [RR] 1.21; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.05 to 1.39). This analysis excluded two trials with strongly positive outcomes that introduced significant heterogeneity. Five further trials in which the control group received alternative written materials did not show evidence for an effect of the smoking self-help materials. We failed to find evidence of benefit from adding self-help materials to face-to-face advice, or to nicotine replacement therapy. There were 25 trials using materials tailored for the characteristics of individual smokers, where meta-analysis supported a small benefit of tailored materials (N = 28,189; RR 1.31; 95% CI 1.20 to 1.42, I² = 19%). The evidence is strongest for tailored materials compared to no intervention, but also supports tailored materials as more helpful than standard materials. Part of this effect could be due to the additional contact or assessment required to obtain individual data. A small number of other trials failed to detect benefits from using additional materials or targeted materials, or to find differences between different self-help programmes.

Authors' conclusions:

Standard self-help materials may increase quit rates compared to no intervention, but the effect is likely to be small. We failed to find evidence that they have an additional benefit when used alongside other interventions such as advice from a healthcare professional, or nicotine replacement therapy. There is evidence that materials that are tailored for individual smokers are more effective than untailored materials, although the absolute size of effect is still small.

This record should be cited as:

Lancaster T, Stead LF. Self-help interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2005, Issue 3. Art. No.: CD001118. DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD001118.pub2

Assessed as up to date:

November 30, 2008

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Primary Review Group:

Tobacco Addiction Group

Health topics:

Lungs & airways > Smoking cessation > Psychological approaches

Tobacco, drugs, & alcohol dependence > Tobacco > Psychological approaches

Cochrane Summaries^beta

Independent high-quality evidence for health care decision making

Do self-help materials containing information about how to give up smoking help people to quit

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