Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2013 May;15(5):932-41.
doi: 10.1093/ntr/nts227. Epub 2012 Oct 18.

Quitline cessation counseling for young adult smokers: a randomized clinical trial

Tammy H Sims  1 , Timothy McAfee, David L Fraser, Timothy B Baker, Michael C Fiore, Stevens S Smith
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Quitline cessation counseling for young adult smokers: a randomized clinical trial

Tammy H Sims et al. Nicotine Tob Res. 2013 May.

Abstract

Introduction: One in 5 young adults in the United States currently smoke, and young adults are less likely than other smokers to make aided quit attempts. Telephone quitlines may be a useful tool for treating this population. This study tested a quitline-based smoking cessation intervention versus mailed self-help materials in smokers 18-24 years old.

Methods: This was a 2-group randomized clinical trial. The quitline-based counseling intervention (CI) included up to 4 proactive telephone counseling sessions; participants in the self-help (SH) group received only mailed cessation materials. Participants included 410 young adults who had smoked at least 1 cigarette in the past 30 days and who called the Wisconsin Tobacco Quit Line (WTQL) for help with quitting. Primary study outcomes included whether or not a quit date was set, whether or not a serious quit attempt was undertaken, and self-reported 7-day point-prevalence abstinence at 1-, 3-, and 6-month postenrollment.

Results: The CI and SH groups did not differ in the intent-to-treat abstinence analyses at any of the follow-ups. However, the CI group was significantly more likely to set a quit date at 1-month postenrollment. Follow-up response rates were low (67.8% at 1 month; 53.4% at 3 months; and 48.3% at 6 months) reflecting lower motivation to participate in this kind of research.

Conclusions: Relative to self-help, quitline counseling motivated young adults to set a quit date but abstinence rates were not improved. Research is needed on how to motivate young adult smokers to seek cessation treatment including quitline services.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Consolidated Standard for Reporting Clinical Trials (CONSORT) diagram.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Abrams D. B., Graham A. L., Levy D. T., Mabry P. L., Orleans C. T. (2010). Boosting population quits through evidence-based cessation treatment and policy. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 38, S351–S363 doi:10.1016/j.amepre.2009.12.011 - PMC - PubMed
    1. An L. C., Klatt C., Perry C. L., et al. (2008). The RealU online cessation intervention for college smokers: A randomized controlled trial. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 47(2), 194–199 doi:10.1016/j.ypmed.2008.04.011 - PubMed
    1. Audrain-McGovern J., Rodriguez D., Epstein L. H., Rodgers K., Cuevas J., Wileyto E. P. (2009). Young adult smoking: What factors differentiate ex-smokers, smoking cessation treatment seekers and nontreatment seekers? Addictive Behaviors, 34, 1036–1041 doi:10.1016/j.addbeh.2009.06.012 - PMC - PubMed
    1. Baker T. B., Mermelstein R., Collins L. M., Piper M. E., Jorenby D. E., Smith S. S., et al., et al. (2011). New methods for tobacco dependence treatment research. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 41(2), 192–207 doi:10.1007/s12160-010-9252-y - PMC - PubMed
    1. Barnes S. A., Larsen M. D., Schroeder D. R., Hanson A., Decker P. A. (2010). Missing data assumptions and methods in a smoking cessation study. Addiction, 105, 431–437 doi:10.1111/j.1360-0443.2009.02809.x - PubMed

Publication types