The Society for Public Health Education (SOPHE) is a nonprofit association that supports leaders in public health, health education and promotion to advance healthy and equitable communities across the globe.
SOPHE members work in health care settings, communities, organizations, schools, universities, worksites, and in local, state and federal government agencies.
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, SOPHE and Richard Windsor, PhD, worked together to develop the SCRIPT® training workshop. This workshop expands prenatal care to include assisting pregnant women to quit smoking.
The SCRIPT® intervention program was extensively evaluated in the United States and abroad.
Ten randomized control trials and cohort studies, sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and other scientific authorities, show that average quit rates for women who receive SCRIPT® are 8% higher than for women who receive regular care - a significant number for smoking cessation. Most quit rates fall between 3%-5%.
The SCRIPT® trials were conducted in various settings - from urban clinics to rural home-based care offices/programs, and with different types of healthcare providers. Gebauer et al (1998) demonstrated the success of SCRIPT® with nurses and Hartmann et al (1996) demonstrated its success with resident-staffed prenatal clinics.
Dr. Windsor was the creator and principal investigator (or co-investigator) of nine SCRIPT® trials.
At the time of his death in 2019, he was professor emeritus at George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. He was also a former president of SOPHE and a SOPHE Distinguished Fellow.
He published over 100 papers on maternal smoking, including process, behavioral impact, health outcome, and cost analysis and evaluation reports.
Dr. Windsor received the C. Everett Koop National Health Award for the SCRIPT® evaluation studies in 1997.
Many state agencies have adopted SCRIPT® training. Some agencies utilize Title V Maternal and Child Health Services Block Grant Program funding to help support SCRIPT® trainings.
The providers trained to implement SCRIPT® have an important role in the health of women and children and improving health outcomes in their community.”
Vermont is building provider capacity to support smoking cessation during pregnancy. Vermont's Department of Health spotlighted the 20 providers trained in the SCRIPT® program.
Florida is embracing SCRIPT® counseling for pregnant smokers who participate in its statewide Healthy Start program. The Florida Association of Healthy Start Coalitions is committed to training all Healthy Start home visitors in SCRIPT®.
