We found little evidence of effectiveness of HRLAs for promotion of exercise/improved diets .
Conclusions Overall , there is limited evidence suggesting that HRLAs are cost-effective in terms of changing health-related knowledge , behaviours or health outcomes .
The evidence that does exist indicates that HRLAs are only cost-effective when they target behaviours likely to have a large impact on overall health-related quality of life .
Background Development of new peer or lay health-related lifestyle advisor ( HRLA ) roles is one response to the need to enhance public engagement in , and improve cost-effectiveness of , health improvement interventions .
This article synthesis es evidence on the cost-effectiveness of HRLA interventions aim ed at adults in developed countries , derived from the first systematic review of the effectiveness , cost-effectiveness , equity and acceptability of different types of HRLA role .
Randomized controlled trial of a social support ('buddy') intervention for smoking cessation.
OBJECTIVE To assess the effectiveness of including a social support intervention ( ' buddy system ' ) in a group treatment programme to aid  smoking cessation . METHODS Five hundred and sixty-three smokers attended groups at a smokers ' clinic . These groups were r and omized either to be ( a ) groups in which smokers were paired with another person to provide mutual support ( buddy condition : n=237 in 14 groups ) or ( b ) to receive the same treatment without the buddy component ( control : n=326 in 20 groups ) . Participants were seen weekly for the first 4 weeks after stopping then followed up again after 26 weeks . RESULTS Smokers in the buddy condition were no more likely than smokers in the control condition to stay abstinent at 1 , 4 or 26 weeks . The effect was in the right direction at week one post-quit but after controlling for potential confounders the difference was not significant ( odds ratio=1.45 ( 95 % CI ; 0.92 - 2.29 ) , p=0.06 ) . CONCLUSIONS We were unable to show that a buddy system improved abstinence rates of group treatment programmes . This might be due to the high level of social support already achieved through the groups . PRACTICE IMPLICATION S The buddy system is a simple and very low cost addition to a group treatment programme ; but the results from this study suggest that the kind of buddy system tested may not add substantially to the success rates . However there may be merits in a more intensive or protracted form of buddying
We found little evidence of effectiveness of HRLAs for promotion of exercise/improved diets .
Conclusions Overall , there is limited evidence suggesting that HRLAs are cost-effective in terms of changing health-related knowledge , behaviours or health outcomes .
The evidence that does exist indicates that HRLAs are only cost-effective when they target behaviours likely to have a large impact on overall health-related quality of life .
Background Development of new peer or lay health-related lifestyle advisor ( HRLA ) roles is one response to the need to enhance public engagement in , and improve cost-effectiveness of , health improvement interventions .
This article synthesis es evidence on the cost-effectiveness of HRLA interventions aim ed at adults in developed countries , derived from the first systematic review of the effectiveness , cost-effectiveness , equity and acceptability of different types of HRLA role .