Integrating Financial Management Counseling and Smoking Cessation Counseling to Reduce Health and Economic Disparities in Low-Income Immigrants

Integrating Financial Management Counseling and Smoking Cessation Counseling to Reduce Health and Economic Disparities in Low-Income Immigrants

This is a 24 month pilot project that will implement and evaluate an innovative program that integrates financial counseling with smoking cessation counseling for low-income immigrants.

This is a two-arm randomized, wait-list control study with 610 participants total: 600 patient participants and 10 staff participants. 600 smokers will be recruited to complete a 9-week intervention that integrates financial management and smoking cessation counseling. Participants will be randomized (300 per arm, stratified by site) to receive the intervention immediately after enrolling (Intervention Arm) or 6 months later (Waitlist Control Arm). Both arms will receive nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for four weeks as part of their time in integrative counseling. Participants will be observed at baseline, 2 months, 6 months and 12 months to assess outcomes and their satisfaction with treatment.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Smokes ≥5 cigarettes per day
• Born outside the U.S.
• Interested in receiving smoking and financial counseling
• Self-reported income below 200% of the current federal poverty level for a given household composition
• New York City resident
• English or Spanish language
• Able to provide informed consent, and
• Does not have a representative who manages his/her funds (to ensure the participant has the ability to manage household money). We will exclude participants who report being pregnant or breastfeeding (unable to receive NRT).

Hospital staff participants:

• Must be current medical or non-medical provider or administrator at Bellevue Hospital or New York University Lutheran Medical Center

Exclusion Criteria:

• We will exclude participants who report being pregnant or breastfeeding.