The DOI matches its Crossref record; 76 of the 78 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Behavioural interventions for smoking cessation: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials
Abstract
AIMS: Widely varying estimates of treatment effects have been reported in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the efficacy of behavioural interventions for smoking cessation. Previous meta-analyses investigating behavioural interventions have important limitations and do not include recently published RCTs. We undertook a meta-analysis of RCTs to synthesize the treatment effects of four behavioural interventions, including minimal clinical intervention (brief advice from a healthcare worker), and intensive interventions, including individual, group, and telephone counselling. METHODS AND RESULTS: We searched the CDC Tobacco Information and Prevention, Cochrane Library, EMBASE, Medline, and PsycINFO databases. We included only RCTs that reported biochemically validated smoking cessation outcomes at 6 and/or 12 months after the target quit date. Outcomes were aggregated using hierarchical Bayesian random-effects models. We identified 50 RCTs, which randomized n = 26 927 patients (minimal clinical intervention: 9 RCTs, n = 6456; individual counselling: 23 RCTs, n = 8646; group counselling: 12 RCTs, n = 3600; telephone counselling: 10 RCTs, n = 8225). The estimated mean treatment effects were minimal clinical intervention [odds ratio (OR) 1.50, 95% credible interval (CrI) 0.84-2.78], individual counselling (OR 1.49, 95% CrI 1.08-2.07), group counselling (OR 1.76, 95% CrI 1.11-2.93), and telephone counselling (OR 1.58, 95% CrI 1.15-2.29). CONCLUSION: Intensive behavioural interventions result in substantial increases in smoking abstinence compared with control. Although minimal clinical intervention may increase smoking abstinence, there is insufficient evidence to draw strong conclusions regarding its efficacy.
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“In a review of 50 randomised controlled trials 22 and another review of 23 studies since January 2000, 23 a group format for a behavioural intervention was not found to be significantly different from an individual format”
From Evaluating Long-term Outcomes of NHS Stop Smoking Services (ELONS): a prospective cohort study (2015) · cites this paper as [22]
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Metadata
- Authors
- Mottillo, S., Filion, K. B., Bélisle, P., Joseph, L., Gervais, A., O'Loughlin, J., Paradis, G., Pihl, R., Pilote, L., Rinfret, S., Tremblay, M., & Eisenberg, M. J.
- Affiliations
- Jewish General Hospital (CA)
- McGill University Health Centre (CA)
- McGill University (CA)
- Corresponding author
- Eisenberg, Mark J.
- ORCID
- Venue
- European Heart Journal
- Publisher
- Oxford University Press (OUP)
- Published
- 2008-12-24
- Volume
- 30
- Issue
- 6
- Pages
- 718-730
- ISSN
- 0195-668X (ISSN-L)
- 1522-9645
- OpenAlex
- W2025716661
- Cited by
- 171
- References
- 78
- Citations by year
- 2026: 4 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 4 · 2023: 6 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 5 · 2020: 4 · 2019: 3 · 2018: 10 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 18 · 2014: 13 · 2013: 19 · 2012: 14
- FWCI
- 1.04
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- European Heart Journal (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Funders
- Canadian Institutes of Health Research
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Smoking Behavior and Cessation
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Epidemiology › Substance Abuse Treatment and Outcomes
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Applied Psychology › Behavioral Health and Interventions
- Keywords
- smoking cessation, behavioral interventions, brief advice, individual counseling, group counseling, telephone counseling, smoking abstinence, treatment efficacy
- MeSH terms
- Smoking Prevention, Behavior Therapy, Female, Humans, Male, United States, Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic, Smoking Cessation
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