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Individual behavioural counselling for smoking cessation.

BACKGROUND
Individual counselling from a smoking cessation specialist may help smokers to make a successful attempt to stop smoking.


OBJECTIVES
The objective of the review is to determine the effects of individual counselling.


SEARCH STRATEGY
We searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group trials register for studies with counsel* in any field. Date of the most recent search: February 2002.


SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised or quasi-randomised trials with at least one treatment arm consisting of face to face individual counselling from a health care worker not involved in routine clinical care. The outcome was smoking cessation at follow-up at least six months after the start of counselling.


DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
Both reviewers extracted data. The intervention and population, method of randomisation and completeness of follow-up were recorded.


MAIN RESULTS
We identified eighteen trials. Fifteen compared individual counselling to a minimal intervention, four compared different types or intensities of counselling. Individual counselling was more effective than control. The odds ratio for successful smoking cessation was 1.62 (95% confidence interval 1.35 to 1.94). We failed to detect a greater effect of intensive counselling compared to brief counselling (odds ratio 0.98, 95% confidence interval 0.61 to 1.56).


REVIEWER'S CONCLUSIONS
Smoking cessation counselling can assist smokers to quit.