Effectiveness of a motivational intervention based on spirometry results to achieve smoking cessation in primary healthcare patients: randomised, parallel, controlled multicentre study.

OBJECTIVE: This 12-month study in a primary healthcare network aimed to assess the effectiveness of usual smoking cessation advice compared with personalised information about the spirometry results. DESIGN: Randomised, parallel, controlled, multicentre clinical trial. SETTING: This study involved 12 primary healthcare centres (Tarragona, Spain). PARTICIPANTS: Active smokers aged 35-70 years, without known respiratory disease. Each participant received brief smoking cessation advice along with a spirometry assessment. Participants with normal results were randomised to the intervention group (IG), including detailed spirometry information at baseline and 6-month follow-up or control group (CG), which was simply informed that their spirometry values were within normal parameters. MAIN OUTCOME: Prolonged abstinence (12 months) validated by expired-CO testing. RESULTS: Spirometry was normal in 571 patients in 571 patients (45.9% male), 286 allocated to IG and 285 to CG. Baseline characteristics were comparable between the groups. Mean age was 49.8 (SD ±7.78) years and mean cumulative smoking exposure was 29.2 (±18.7) pack-years. Prolonged abstinence was 5.6% (16/286) in the IG, compared with 2.1% (6/285) in the CG (p=0.03); the cumulative abstinence curve was favourable in the IG (HR 1.98; 95% CI 1.29 to 3.04). CONCLUSIONS: In active smokers without known respiratory disease, brief advice plus detailed spirometry information doubled prolonged abstinence rates, compared with brief advice alone, in 12-month follow-up, suggesting a more effective intervention to achieve smoking cessation in primary healthcare. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER: NCT01194596.

Adiposity markers and lung function in smokers: a cross-sectional study in a Mediterranean population.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the association of key adiposity markers with lung function in smokers without respiratory disease in a Mediterranean population. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study with baseline data from a representative sample of the ESPITAP study in Spain. Participants were 738 smokers (52.3% men) without respiratory disease, aged 35 to 70, selected from 12 primary health care centres. We assessed weight, height, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC) and waist-to-height ratio (WHtR). The pulmonary functional parameters were forced vital capacity (FVC), forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and FEV1/FVC ratio. RESULTS: In this cohort of smokers, 22.2% of individuals had central obesity. FVC% was inversely associated with all anthropometric measures (BMI, WC and WHtR) in the overall population and in men; in women, only BMI was associated with FVC%. FEV1% was inversely associated to BMI and WC in the overall population, and to all anthropometric measures in men. Furthermore, both BMI and obesity were positively associated with FEV1/FVC ratio overall and when stratified by sex; this suggests a restrictive pattern explained by the altered ventilator mechanics experienced by people with obesity. CONCLUSION: In a Mediterranean population of smokers without respiratory symptoms, abdominal obesity, evaluated not only by BMI and WC but also WHtR, is inversely associated with lung function. Fat distribution appears more strongly related to pulmonary function parameters in men than in women. In smokers with high values for WC, WHtR and BMI, assessment of lung function is recommended. TRIAL REGISTRATION: Current Controlled Trials NCT01194596 . Registered 2 September 2010.

Dietary intake according to the course of symptoms of eating disorders in a school-based follow-up study of adolescents.

This study examines dietary intake according to the course of risk of eating disorder (rED) in a sample of school-age followed from preadolescence to adolescence. An initial sample of 1336 adolescents completed the Children's Eating Attitudes Test, and we selected a group with rED and a control group randomly. Two years later, 162 adolescents completed the Eating Attitudes Test and were classified into three groups according to the course of symptoms (no rED = 57; remission of rED = 62; persistent rED = 43). Dietary intake was assessed using a 3-day food record and 24-h recalls over 3 days. The results showed that girls with persistent rED reduced their energy and nutrient intake, with a 67.5% at risk of inadequate vitamin and mineral intake. Boys with persistent rED maintained their dietary intake, with a 25% at risk of inadequate vitamin and mineral micronutrient intake. Therefore, early detection of rED is necessary to prevent the exacerbation of nutritional problems.