Tobacco Cessation Tailored to Patients Living With HIV (PLWH) in Brazil

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of a Tobacco Cessation Intervention Tailored to Patients Living With HIV (PLWH) in Brazil: A Feasibility Study

The overall goal of this feasibility study is to make adaptations to these evidence-based approaches in collaboration with PLWH and health care providers working with this population, and develop, implement, and evaluate the feasibility and scalability of a theory-based, culturally relevant tobacco cessation intervention for PLWH receiving care through the public health system in a southern town in Brazil (Londrina). This proposal will focus on the intervention development, pretesting, and feasibility testing. The primary outcome will be a 7-day point prevalence abstinence (defined as no tobacco use in the past 7 days and verified through measurement of salivary cotinine and exhaled carbon monoxide levels) at 6-month follow-up. We will also conduct detailed treatment fidelity and scalability assessments (acceptability, feasibility, potential reach and adoption, alignment with the strategic context) to inform a full-scale efficacy trial.

This study aims at developing and examining feasibility and scalability of a theory-based, culturally relevant tobacco cessation intervention for PLWH receiving care through the public health system in a southern town in Brazil. It consists of three phases: formative assessments with patients and health care providers to inform relevant components of the intervention, pretesting of the intervention components, and pilot testing of the intervention (feasibility).

Inclusion Criteria:

• PLWH (that is, patients with a confirmed HIV diagnosis) receiving care at the reference center in Londrina
• 18 years of age and older; (c) smoke at least 5 cigarettes (industrialized or hand-rolled) per day Smoked within the past seven days.
• No intent to move from the area served by reference center in Londrina within the next 12 months.

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of hypertension
• History of angina
• History of asthma
• On medication for depression.