Randomised control trial of a smoking cessation intervention directed Essay

Randomised control trial of a smoking cessation intervention directed at men whose partners are pregnant - Critical Review - Essay Example rther understand how a suitable intervention program can aid in increasing the quit rates among men as the percentage of quit rate was found to be more in the intervention group compared to the control. The study is completely justified as childbirth may represent the best opportunity to increase smoking cessation rates among men 2,3. Men might quit smoking on knowing that the wife is pregnant and will also abstain from the same for a few years after childbirth 4. The study purpose was clear. The study was a multicomponent intervention study using a stratified, randomized control trial, with an intention to treat analysis. The study was conducted at 2 large Brisbane metropolitan hospitals in collaboration with the University of Queensland. Over a period of 35 months, men whose partners were pregnant and who met the eligibility criteria (should be male, be a partner of a woman less than 25 weeks pregnant, living with her and be a current cigarette smoker of at least 10 cigarettes per day within 3 days of the baseline interview) were enrolled into the program. These eligible participants were stratified based on the smoking status of the female partner and then randomized to control or intervention group. Participants were blinded to group allocation. The study was a qualitative study. It was not a quantitative study as numerical result was not the endpoint. The main aim of the study was to determine how well the intervention program would help in cessation of smoking. Woman who booked into the public antenatal clinics at two large Brisbane metropolitan hospitals were asked to provide information about their smoking status, their partners smoking status and contact details. From the information provided men who fulfilled the eligibility criteria were selected. The eligible participants were stratified based on the smoking status of their female partners at a central location by a staff member not involved in the recruitment or interviews. They were then

Free will theodicy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Free will theodicy - Essay Example Speaking of the objections that might be made towards the above mentioned claim, one is able to name at least two. They are articulated in the book titled Dialogue on Good, Evil, and the Existence of God and are expressed by Gretchen Weirob. First of all, she points out that God could have created a world that, on the one hand, would be filled with creatures that will exercise free will and, on the other hand, that would be free of weaknesses. In spite of the fact that such thinking might seem logical, it fails to comply with some of the important ideas of free will theodicy which argues that an irreplaceable part of a free will is to be able to perform evil actions as well. Another objection that is made by Weirob puts emphasis on the fact that the very idea of free will is not logical at all. Thus, it is suggested that with the help of it a person is able to make actions independently, regardless of any other forces that influence one in this process; but God always knows what a pe rson will do since He is thought to be omniscient. Another character, namely David, suggests that knowledge that God possesses should not be seen as an obstacle on the way of a person exercising free will. This means that even though other people might know and understand the motifs that will most certainly guide a person through decision making process, the action itself happens because a person wills it. In other words, the knowledge is not affecting the ability of an individual to choose in any way. While this may be true, the original characters suggest that this might work when other people are involved, but then God is involved, his knowledge is special. The primarily difference here lies in the fact that unlike other people God was directly involved in the creation of a person and had affected every aspect of one’s personality. In other words, other people can not simply