Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Identifying Evidence-Based Competences Required to Deliver Behavioural Support for Smoking Cessation

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Annals of Behavioral Medicine

Abstract

Background

No systematic basis has yet been published for specifying competences needed to underpin behavioural support for smoking cessation.

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to develop and apply a system for identifying competences required for the delivery of individual and group-based behavioural support for smoking cessation.

Methods

Sets of recommended competences for behavioural support were identified from a range of guidance documents. Where possible, these were compared with ones based on behaviour change techniques identified within behavioural support programmes found to be effective in randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and, for individual behavioural support, ones associated with higher success rates in the English Stop Smoking Services.

Results

Ninety-four competences were identified (71 individual and 23 additional group competences), of which 59 were cited in at least two guidance documents (51 and 8, respectively). Fourteen of the individual competences and three of the group competences were supported by RCT evidence and, for individual competences, nine were supported by evidence from the services.

Conclusions

It is possible to identify competences recommended for behavioural support for smoking cessation and subsets supported by different types of evidence. This approach can form the basis for the development of assessment and training of stop smoking practitioners and is currently doing so in a national programme in England. With further research, the list of evidence-based competences is likely to be extended.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. Susan Michie, Robert West, Andy McEwen.

References

  1. Lancaster T, Stead LF. Individual behavioural counselling for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005:CD001292.

  2. Stead LF, Lancaster T. Group behaviour therapy programmes for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005:CD001007.

  3. West R, McNeill A, Raw M. Smoking cessation guidelines for health professionals: An update. Health Education Authority. Thorax. 2000, 55:987–999.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. US Department of Health and Human Services. Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence: 2008 Update of Clinical Practice Guideline. Rockeville: USDHHS, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Stavri A, Beard E, West R, Michie S: Applying a taxonomy of behaviour change techniques to smoking cessation: Are published descriptions adequate? Psychology & Health. 2009, 24, Supplement 1:375.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Abraham C, Michie S. A taxonomy of behavior change techniques used in interventions. Health Psychology. 2008, 27:379–387.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. West R, Walia A, Hyder N, Shahab L, Michie S. Behavior change techniques used by the English Stop Smoking Services and their associations with short-term quit outcomes. Nicotine & Tobacco Research. 2010, 12:742–747

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Department of Health. Smoking Kills: A White Paper on Tobacco. London: The Stationary Office, 1999.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Willis N, Crogan E, Chambers M. NHS Stop Smoking Services: Service and Monitoring Guidance 2009/10. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_07964, 2009.

  10. Health Development Agency. Standard for Training in Smoking Cessation Treatments. London: HDA, 2003.

    Google Scholar 

  11. Lancaster T, Stead LF. Self-help interventions for smoking cessation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2005:CD001118.

  12. Department of Health. The NHS Knowledge and Skills Framework (NHS KSF) and the Development Review Process. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_4009176. 2009.

  13. Department of Health. Improving Health Changing Behaviour: NHS Health Trainer Handbook. http://www.dh.gov.uk/en/Publicationsandstatistics/Publications/PublicationsPolicyAndGuidance/DH_085779, 2009.

  14. Department of Health. Public Health Register. http://www.publichealthregister.org.uk/, 2009.

  15. ASH Scotland. Scottish National Training Standards: Stop smoking Support. http://www.ashscotland.org.uk/ash/files/ScottishTrainingStandardsStopSmokingSupport.pdf, 2009.

  16. Department of Health Social Services. Northern Ireland: Training Framework for Smoking Cessation Services in Northern Ireland. Belfast: NI Department of Health, 2003.

  17. New Jersey Tobacco Dependence Program. Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist Training. http://www.tobaccoprogram.org/tobspeciatrain.htm, 2009.

  18. McEwen A, Hajek P, McRobbie H, West R. Manual of Smoking Cessation. Oxford: Wiley-Blackwell, 2008.

    Google Scholar 

  19. West R. The multiple facets of cigarette addiction and what they mean for encouraging and helping smokers to stop. COPD. 2009, 6:277–283.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Glasgow RE, Whitlock EP, Eakin EG, Lichtenstein E. A brief smoking cessation intervention for women in low-income planned parenthood clinics. Am J Public Health. 2000, 90:786–789.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Nakamura M, Oshima A, Ueshima H. Effects of stage-matched repeated individual counseling on smoking cessation: A randomized controlled trial for the High-Risk Strategy by Lifestyle Modification (HISLIM) Study. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine. 2004, 9:152–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Weissfeld JL, Holloway JL. Treatment for cigarette smoking in a Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic. Arch Intern Med. 1991, 151:973–977.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Windsor RA, Lowe JB, Bartlett EE. The effectiveness of a worksite self-help smoking cessation program: A randomized trial. J Behav Med. 1988, 11:407–421.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Bakkevig O, Steine S, von Hafenbradl K, Laerum E. Smoking cessation. A comparative, randomised study between management in general practice and the behavioural programme SmokEnders. Scand J Prim Health Care. 2000, 18:247–251.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. Curry SJ, Marlatt GA, Gordon J, Baer JS. A comparison of alternative theoretical approaches to smoking cessation and relapse. Health Psychol. 1988, 7:545–556.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Hollis JF, Lichtenstein E, Vogt TM, Stevens VJ, Biglan A. Nurse-assisted counseling for smokers in primary care. Ann Intern Med. 1993, 118:521–525.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Jason L, Lesowitz T, Michaels M, et al. A worksite smoking cessation intervention involving the media and incentives. American Journal of Community Psychology. 1989, 17:785–799.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Jason A, McMahon S, Salina D, et al. Assessing a smoking cessation intervention involving groups, incentives, and self-help manuals. Behavior Therapy. 1995, 26:393–408.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. Leung J-P. Smoking Cessation by Auricular Acupuncture and Behavioural Therapy. Psychologia. 1991, 34:177–187.

    Google Scholar 

  30. Romand R, Gourgou S, Sancho-Garnier H. A randomized trial assessing the Five-Day Plan for smoking cessation. Addiction. 2005, 100:1546–1554.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Zheng P, Guo F, Chen Y, et al. A randomized controlled trial of group intervention based on social cognitive theory for smoking cessation in China. J Epidemiol. 2007, 17:147–155.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Michie S, Johnston M, Francis J, Hardeman W, Eccles M. From theory to intervention: Mapping theoretically derived behaviouraldeterminants to behaviour change techniques. Applied Psychology: an International Review. 2008, 57:660–680.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. West R. Providing full manuals and intervention descriptions: Addiction policy. Addiction. 2008, 103:1411.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Michie S, Abraham C. Advancing the science of behaviour change: A plea for scientific reporting. Addiction. 2008, 103:1409–1410.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This research was supported by a grant from Cancer Research UK and the UK Department of Health. We thank Andy McEwen, Paul Aveyard, Lindsay Mitchell and Heather Thomson for their comments on earlier drafts of this paper.

Conflict of Interest Statement

S. Churchill has no conflicts of interest. R. West undertakes consultancy and research for and receives travel funds and hospitality from manufacturers of smoking cessation medications and has a share of a patent for a novel nicotine delivery device. R. West and S. Michie are co-directors of the NHS Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. NHS Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT), University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK

    Susan Michie Ph.D. & Sue Churchill Ph.D.

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health and NHS Centre for Smoking Cessation and Training (NCSCT), University College London, 1-19 Torrington Place, London, WC1E 7HB, UK

    Robert West Ph.D.

Authors
  1. Susan Michie Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Sue Churchill Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert West Ph.D.
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Susan Michie Ph.D..

Electronic Supplementary Materials

Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.

Appendix 1

Definitions of behaviour change techniques (BCTs) used to help smokers to stop (DOC 94 kb)

Appendix 2

List of competences (knowledge and skills) for individual behavioural support identified in ten relevant national and international Stop Smoking Services (SSS) guidance documents and manuals (DOC 145 kb)

Appendix 3

List of competences (knowledge and skills) for group behavioural support identified in relevant national and international Stop Smoking Services (SSS) guidance documents and manuals (DOC 51 kb)

About this article

Cite this article

Michie, S., Churchill, S. & West, R. Identifying Evidence-Based Competences Required to Deliver Behavioural Support for Smoking Cessation. ann. behav. med. 41, 59–70 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-010-9235-z

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12160-010-9235-z

Keywords

Search

Navigation