Availability of smoking prevention and cessation services for childhood cancer survivors

Cancer Causes Control. 2007 May;18(4):423-30. doi: 10.1007/s10552-006-0110-y. Epub 2007 Feb 12.

Abstract

Objective: To characterize the smoking-related services available to childhood cancer survivors and describe organizational characteristics that were related to institutions' capacity to provide smoking services.

Methods: Institutions affiliated with the Children's Oncology Group were surveyed from 2003 to 2004.

Results: Of the 132 responding institutions, 85% assessed the smoking status of their cancer survivors intermittingly, but only 3% assessed smoking status at every visit, as recommended by the PHS guidelines. A minority of sites offered either smoking prevention (39%) or cessation (25%) services; 58% of sites had a mechanism in place to refer survivors for cessation services. In multivariate analyses, the most parsimonious model predicting capacity for smoking service delivery included barriers, respondents' attitudes, complexity, and institutional stability.

Conclusions: These data highlight an important need to improve the availability of smoking services for childhood cancer survivors. Additionally, these findings will inform the development of future interventions that are sensitive to barriers and facilitators to providing prevention services.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Attitude of Health Personnel
  • Cancer Care Facilities
  • Child
  • Continuity of Patient Care / organization & administration
  • Female
  • Group Practice
  • Health Services Accessibility
  • Hospitals, General
  • Hospitals, Pediatric
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Massachusetts
  • Neoplasms / prevention & control*
  • Preventive Health Services / standards*
  • Preventive Medicine / standards*
  • Smoking / adverse effects
  • Smoking Cessation / statistics & numerical data*
  • Smoking Prevention*
  • Survivors*
  • United States