A Stop Smoking in Schools Trial (ASSIST) - an educational, peer-led programme to promote non-smoking
At a glance
Country of origin
- United Kingdom
A Stop Smoking in Schools Trial (ASSIST) is a smoking prevention intervention based on an educational, peer-led approach. Influential students are nominated by their peers and are trained by health promotion trainers for two days. The training informs students about the risks of smoking and the benefits of remaining smoke free, and trains participants in skills for promoting non-smoking among their peers. They use informal contacts with peers over a 10-week period to promote non-smoking and keep a diary record of these conversations.
Links to this programme in other registries
Implementation Experiences
Read the experiences of people who have implemented this programme.
Contact details
Dr Suzanne Audrey, PhD
Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol
Canynge Hall
Whiteladies Road
Bristol BS2 8PS
United Kingdom
Email: suzanne.audrey[a]bristol.ac.uk
Overview of results from the European studies
Studies overview
The programme has been evaluated in a cluster randomised controlled trial (RCT) in Wales, UK, involving children aged 12-14 years. (There was a statistically significant effect favouring the intervention on self-reported likelihood of smoking one year after the intervention ended but not at post-test or two years after the intervention). The study found no evidence that the intervention had a more beneficial effect on students who were identified as occasional, experimental or ex-smokers at baseline. However, ASSIST did achieve a statistically significant reduction favouring the intervention in the odds of being a regular smoker based on post-test, one-year and two-year follow-up data combined.
Countries where evaluated
- United Kingdom
Characteristics
Protective factor(s) addressed
- Individual and peers: interaction with prosocial peers
- Individual and peers: refusal skills and decision making
Risk factor(s) addressed
- Individual and peers: favourable attitude towards alcohol/drug use
Outcomes targeted
- Smoking (tobacco)
Description of programme
A Stop Smoking in Schools Trial (ASSIST) is a smoking prevention intervention based on an educational, peer-led approach. Influential students are nominated by their peers and are trained for two days to use informal contacts with peers to encourage them not to smoke. They are asked to intervene informally in everyday situations over a 10-week period to promote non-smoking and to keep a record of these conversations in a diary.
The training aims to increase knowledge about the health, economic, social and environmental risks of smoking; emphasise the benefits of remaining smoke free; and encourage the development of skills to enable the selected ‘peer supporter’ students to promote non-smoking among their peers.
The educational aspect of the intervention is based on the ‘diffusion of innovation’ model, whereby the diffusion of new behavioural norms through social networks is effected by influential students. Students in participating schools were given a brief questionnaire to identify influential students.
Implementation Experiences
