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A randomised controlled study of health intervention "SNAP" in Northern Territory prisons

image - Smoking Square 0
Date Commenced:
09/2016
Expected Date of Completion:
06/2020
Project Supporters:

Commonwealth Health Department

Drug Type:
Project Members: 
image - Ryan Courtney
Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellow
Ph +61-2-90657655
image - Ndarc 028
Dr Emily Stockings
Senior Lecturer
Associate Professor
Ph +61 (2) 9385 3379
image - Anthony Shakeshaft Square
Visiting Professorial Fellow
Ph 02 9385 0333
Project Main Description: 

The Northern Territory prison population comprises 92% Indigenous Australians and 88% smokers. The NT prison-smoking ban creates a population-wide abstinence. We aim to extend this period of abstinence into the community.

 

Rationale

Prisoners have high levels of smoking, 74% smoke and 94% smoke daily.9 More Indigenous prison entrants are current smokers (82% vs. 72%) and fewer are ex-smokers (4% vs. 12%) than other entrants.10 This contrasts with the general community, where smoking has almost halved (25% in 1996 to 13% in 2013).

 

Aims

  1. Assess the feasibility of delivering SNAP to NT male prisoners.
  2. Determine if the SNAP program can significantly reduce smoking relapse in the treated group compared to the control group at day 1, 7, 30 and 90 post-prison release.
  3. Determine if the SNAP program can significantly reduce the risk factors of poor Nutrition, Alcohol abuse and Physical inactivity for NT male prison population.
  4. Conduct a cost benefit analysis to determine if SNAP is cost effective in reducing the risk factors for Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol abuse and Physical inactivity for NT prison population.
  5. Establish a cohort for a longitudinal study of prisoner health in the Northern Territory.

 

Design and Method

Aims and methods All eligible prisoners nearing release will be invited into the study and those who consent will be randomised to receive the Health Intervention SNAP or usual care, control group. SNAP; Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical inactivity which comprises Ask, Assess, Advise, Assist and Arrange which takes 30 minutes to deliver.

Study activities include:

Released participants will be followed up to examine relapse to smoking at Day 1, 7, 30 and 90 post-release. An additional outcome will be the comparison of the two Groups on Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical activity risk factors post-release. 

 

Benefits

The study will investigate new ways to help people stop smoking.

Project Collaborators: External: 

Professor Stuart Kinner
Griffith University

Dennis Petrie
Monash University

Robyn Hopkins
Northern Territory Correctional Service

Rationale: 

Prisoners have high levels of smoking, 74% smoke and 94% smoke daily. More Indigenous prison entrants are current smokers (82% vs. 72%) and fewer are ex-smokers (4% vs. 12%) than other entrants. This contrasts with the general community, where smoking has almost halved (25% in 1996 to 13% in 2013).

Aims: 
  1. Assess the feasibility of delivering SNAP to NT male prisoners.
  2. Determine if the SNAP program can significantly reduce smoking relapse in the treated group compared to the control group at day 1, 7, 30 and 90 post-prison release.
  3. Determine if the SNAP program can significantly reduce the risk factors of poor Nutrition, Alcohol abuse and Physical inactivity for NT male prison population.
  4. Conduct a cost benefit analysis to determine if SNAP is cost effective in reducing the risk factors for Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol abuse and Physical inactivity for NT prison population.
  5. Establish a cohort for a longitudinal study of prisoner health in the Northern Territory.
Design and Method: 

All eligible prisoners nearing release will be invited into the study and those who consent will be randomised to receive the Health Intervention SNAP or usual care, control group. SNAP; Smoking, Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical inactivity which comprises Ask, Assess, Advise, Assist and Arrange which takes 30 minutes to deliver.

Study activities include:

Released participants will be followed up to examine relapse to smoking at Day 1, 7, 30 and 90 post-release. An additional outcome will be the comparison of the two Groups on Nutrition, Alcohol and Physical activity risk factors post-release. 

Benefits: 

The study will investigate new ways to help people stop smoking.

Drug Type: 
Project Status: 
Current