The intervention programme applied TTM constructs by using stages
of change, decisional balance and self-efficacy related to women
protecting themselves and their children from passive smoking
exposure as the determinants of change. Knowledge has been
suggested to affect individuals’ perceptions and influence
behaviour,9 and was also included as a determinant of change. The
intervention focused on providing appropriate strategies based on
mothers’ motivation to change. In addition to inducing changes in
motivation and the determinants of change using stage-targeted
intervention, we also designed individually tailored intervention
(the phone counselling session) to support behaviour initiation and
maintenance based on the concept of tailoring proposed by Kreuter
and Skinner.14 The phone counselling sessions were conducted after
the intervention began to individually tailor the intervention based
on the participants’ stages of change and level of difficulty.
The intervention programme components included the following:
DVD: A Story of Three Mothers in three sections, as follows:
Section A—How passive smoking affects your life, which was
demonstrated by mothers at precontemplation stage; Section B—
Practical strategies to avoid passive smoking in public places,
which was demonstrated by mothers who were not living with
smokers; and Section C—Practical strategies to avoid passive
smoking at home, which was demonstrated by mothers who were
living with smokers and were at the contemplation/preparation,
action/maintenance stage.
Booklet: A 31-page coloured booklet was designed specifically
for mothers, using the title ‘Mommy Says No to Passive Smoking’.
It instructs mothers about stages of change so they can stage
themselves and then provides information appropriate to the stages
of change. Education is provided related to mothers protecting
themselves and their children from passive smoking at the precontemplation,
contemplation/preparation and preparation/action
stages. Quizzes and exercises reinforce the information.
Accessory tools: Supportive tools that function as stimulus control
to support desired changes, include stickers, bibs and door hangers
that reinforce the concepts of the intervention. They combine a
logo—‘Valuable life. No smoke’.—that suggests a forbidden feeling
and increases feeling of protection. Information is imprinted on the
tools emphasizing the health effects of passive smoking