Evaluation of National Cancer Institute (NCI) Smoking Intervention Resources

Evaluation of NCI Smoking Intervention Resources

This is an evaluative study of three National Cancer Institute (NCI) smoking cessation resources: specifically, the smokefree.gov and women smokefree.gov websites, and the CIS counseling phone calls. The following are the identified critical questions: (1). How effective is each of the tobacco interventions (websites [smokefree.gov & women smokefree.gov], NCI's Cessation Quitline counseling services operated by the Cancer Information Service (CIS) (2). How do they compare with alternative intervention strategies? (3). Which types of interventions appear to work best together (due to additive or interactive effects)? (4). How do these interventions work? (5). How much are these interventions used, and what are their relative use rates? (6). Are there important differences in effectiveness or use rates as a function of gender, SES, or other important person factors? We believe that the research study will address all of these questions, as well as some less central ones.

This an evaluative study of three National Cancer Institute (NCI) smoking cessation resources: specifically, the smokefree.gov and women smokefree.gov websites, and the CIS counseling phone calls. The following are the identified critical questions: (1). How effective is each of the tobacco interventions (websites [smokefree.gov & women smokefree.gov], NCI's Cessation Quitline counseling services operated by the Cancer Information Service (CIS) (2). How do they compare with alternative intervention strategies? (3). Which types of interventions appear to work best together (due to additive or interactive effects)? (4). How do these interventions work? (5). How much are these interventions used, and what are their relative use rates? (6). Are there important differences in effectiveness or use rates as a function of gender, SES, or other important person factors? We believe that the research study will address all of these questions, as well as some less central ones.

The primary goal of this research is to obtain experimental data on the effectiveness of the major eHealth and communication smoking cessation interventions (smokefree.gov, women smokefree.gov, and NCI's Quitline counseling services). The primary bases for comparison would be quit attempts and cessation success, and each intervention would be compared with a control condition not receiving the intervention. In addition to the targeted interventions, participants may also be assigned to several different comparison interventions: i.e., email prompts, mailings/brochures, and OTC nicotine medication. The resulting data would allow us to determine effect sizes for each type of intervention relative to a control condition, which would allow us to determine the relative effectiveness of each intervention: i.e., how well the interventions stack-up against one another in terms of effect sizes.

Secondary goals of this research are to:

1. . Determine how much the participants use the interventions;
2. . Determine the mechanisms of benefit (perform meditational analyses);
3. . Compare benefits for important smoker populations;
4. . Determine whether any of the interventions produce subtractive or synergistic effects; and
5. . Obtain basic health economic estimates such as cost/quitter.

The project will also include a substudy directed toward pregnant women and women who are interested in participating but are unwilling to agree to utilize approved contraceptive methods for the duration of the study. This substudy will utilize all of the treatment conditions except the medication condition, since medication is not recommended for women who are pregnant in the US. Department of Health and Human Services treatment guideline for tobacco dependence

Inclusion Criteria:

(1). Interest in quitting smoking within the next 30 days, but not already actively engaged in quitting (e.g., subject should not be currently participating in other cessation counseling or taking cessation medication treatment for the purpose of a quit attempt); (2). The person has a phone and has home internet access; (3). The person has an email address that can be used to send assessments, and deliver email prompts; (4). The person expresses willingness to provide assessment information and have his/her computer use of the assigned website tracked; (5). There are contraindications to over the counter nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) use (e.g., pregnancy); (6). The person smokes ≥ 5 cpd; (7). The person is ≥ 18 years;(8). The person accesses the internet with no more than 3 computers/devices (including devices such as iPads and smartphones); and (9). No other members of the person's household are participating in the NCI website evaluation. (The age restriction is due to the possible assignment to medication, which is not recommended for adolescents.) Subjects will not have to express an interest in using NRT. They may be sent NRT depending upon experimental assignment, but a commitment to use medication is not a requirement of participation. Also, pregnant smokers, or those who believe they may become pregnant, can participate, but they will be randomly assigned to only the non-medication treatments and participate only in the substudy. [They will not be included in the regular data analyses, and power will be too small to permit meaningful inferential tests. However, effect sizes in this small group of smokers will be determined for comparison with the effect sizes obtained in the main study.] Due to limitations in the volume of new calls that can be handled in the phone counseling component, recruitment will not exceed 300 per month. When monthly recruitment goal has been met, the recruitment invitation will be turned off until the following month. At the point where it is necessary to achieve the desired (50/50) gender balance, the invitation to participate in the study will be restricted by sex until full enrollment is achieved.

Exclusion Criteria:

(1). If the person has no interest in quitting smoking within the next 30 days or if the person is actively engaged in quitting (e.g., subject is currently participating in other cessation counseling or taking cessation medication treatment for the purpose of a quit attempt); (2). Person does not have a phone or home internet access; (3). The person does not have an email address that can be used to send assessments, and deliver email prompts; (4). The person is not willing to provide assessment information and have his/her computer use of the assigned website tracked; (5). There are contraindications to over the counter nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) use (e.g., pregnancy); (6). The person smokes < 5 cpd; (7). The person is <18 years;(8). The person accesses the internet with more than 4 computers (including devices such as iPads and smartphones); and (9). One or more members of the person's household are already participating in the NCI website evaluation. (The age restriction is due to the possible assignment to medication, which is not recommended for adolescents.)