Training obstetric and family practice residents to give smoking cessation advice during prenatal care

Objective: Our objective was to determine the effectiveness of training obstetric and family practice residents to provide smoking cessation advice. Study Design: The effectiveness of the trained residents' advice was assessed from exit interviews of pregnant smokers taking part in a randomized, controlled trial of smoking cessation advice. Exit interview responses were compared by χ2 analysis. Results: Training resulted in significant changes in the advice provided by the residents, with greater emphasis on gaining a commitment to smoking behavior change, but not in the average time providing the advice, approximately 3 minutes. Adherence to the protocol was maintained at 80%. Significantly more women who received the brief structured advice agreed to stop smoking (54%) or cut down their cigarette consumption (28%) compared with women in the control group (14% and 6%, respectively), p = 0.0001. Conclusion: The structured advice consistently provided by the trained residents was effective in gaining commitments from pregnant smokers to change their smoking behavior.