MassCONECT (Massachusetts Community Networks to Eliminate Cancer Disparities Through Education) 4 Kids: Promoting Smoke-free Homes

MassCONECT 4 Kids: Promoting Smoke-free Homes MassCONECT (Massachusetts Community Networks to Eliminate Cancer Disparities Through Education)

This study evaluates the effectiveness of a motivational interviewing intervention with families with young children ages 0-5 where smoking is happening in the home to adopt a smoke-free home plan and reduce child's second-hand smoke exposure.

Involuntary secondhand smoke (SHS) exposure in homes is an entirely preventable public health threat that disproportionately burdens young children in communities of low socioeconomic position. Breathe Free For Kids is a community-based participatory research (CBPR) initiative to evaluate the effectiveness of Ml compared with usual best practices (UBP) by having parents voluntarily adopt smoke-free home policies to protect children from SHS. The Motivational Interviewing intervention protocol was developed in conjunction with community partners, integrated into a health department-sponsored home visiting program for high-risk children and other community-based agencies serving children, and delivered by trained community health workers.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Tobacco smoking occurs regularly (smoke a minimum of one cigarette/cigar per day or five cigarettes/cigars per week) inside the home or in an attached patio/porch, hallway or stairwell
• Primary caregiver of child aged birth to 5 years old (inclusive) enrolled in Massachusetts Early Intervention program, Healthy Families program or the general population in Boston, Lawrence and Worcester areas.
• Ability of a custodial parent aged 17 or older/legally authorized representative or primary caregiver of child enrolled in participating programs to give permission for the index child to provide saliva sample.
• Participant has access to a telephone to schedule study contacts and participate in follow-up calls

Exclusion Criteria:

• Not able to understand English or Spanish at a 8th grade level or above
• In poor physical or psychological health (self-reported and observed by Community Health Worker), for whom participating in this intervention study might compromise the child's or participant's welfare, or be impracticable
• Index child is a ward of the state