Training sports coaches to tackle tobacco: Formative evaluation of the SmokeFree Sports campaign

Smoking is one of the leading causes of preventable morbidity and death in England, and is an addiction largely taken up in youth. Given the need for early prevention strategies, this formative study evaluated sports coaches' perceptions of a preliminary SmokeFree Sports (SFS) campaign. The research was conducted in five youth clubs with eight coaches who attended a Level 1 Brief Intervention Training workshop. Semi-structured interviews were conducted, and a questionnaire assessed the impact of the Brief Intervention Training on coaches' self-efficacy to deliver smoke-free messages at pre, post and follow-up. Interviews were transcribed verbatim, and pen profiles were constructed to provide an overview of coaches' perspectives of SFS with regard to: (a) Brief Intervention Training, (b) SFS implementation and (c) suggestions for improvements. One-way repeated measures ANOVA revealed a significant increase in coaches' self-efficacy towards knowledge and delivery of smoke-free messages from pre- to post-Brief Intervention Training that was maintained at follow-up. This formative work suggests that there is potential in educating coaches and using sports to deliver health education around smoking. Recommendations to improve the Brief Intervention Training included making it more interactive and specific with respect to sport and particular age groups. SFS could also be trialled in structured setting and with other sports. These findings will be used to inform and tailor the design and development of a larger, definitive SFS intervention.