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
. 2017 Aug 1;32(4):318-331.
doi: 10.1093/her/cyx050.

Linking smokers to a quitline: randomized controlled effectiveness trial of a support person intervention that targets non-smokers

Christi A Patten  1 , Raymond Boyle  2 , David Tinkelman  3 , Tabetha A Brockman  1 , Amy Lukowski  3 , Paul A Decker  4 , Joanne D'Silva  2 , Edward Lichtenstein  5 , Shu-Hong Zhu  6
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Linking smokers to a quitline: randomized controlled effectiveness trial of a support person intervention that targets non-smokers

Christi A Patten et al. Health Educ Res. .

Abstract

Evidence-based treatments (e.g. quitlines) are greatly underutilized by smokers limiting their public health impact. A three-session phone intervention for nonsmoking family members and friends (i.e. support persons) was successful for increasing smoker quitline enrollment. To enhance the intervention's potential translatability, in this study, we delivered treatment for the non-smoker within ongoing quitline services and compared the efficacy of the three-call intervention to a streamlined version (one call). A total of 704 adult non-smokers (85% female, 95% White) wanting to help a smoker quit and recruited statewide in Minnesota participated in this randomized controlled trial with parallel groups. Non-smokers received mailed written materials and were randomly assigned to a control condition (no additional treatment, n = 235), or to a one- (n = 233) or three-call (n = 236) intervention delivered by quitline coaches. The main outcome was smoker quitline enrollment through 7-month follow-up. Smoker quitline enrollment was similar for those linked to non-smokers in the one- and three-call interventions (14.6% [34/233] and 14.8% [35/236]), and higher than for smokers linked to control participants (6.4% [15/235]), P = 0.006. Just one quitline coaching call delivered to non-smokers increased treatment enrollment among smokers. The reach of quitlines could be enhanced by targeting the social support network of smokers.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01331226.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Fig. 1.
Fig. 1.
Participant flow.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Jamal A, Homa DM, O’Connor E. et al. Current cigarette smoking among adults - United States, 2005-2014. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2015; 64:1233–40. - PubMed
    1. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Health Consequences of Smoking: 50 Years of Progress. A Report of the Surgeon General. Atlanta, GA: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Office on Smoking and Health, 2014. Printed with corrections, January 2014. Available at: http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/reports/50-years-of-progress/full-.... Accessed: 1 July 2016.
    1. Cokkinides VE, Ward E, Jemal A. et al. Under-use of smoking-cessation treatments: results from the National Health Interview Survey, 2000. Am J Prev Med 2005; 28:119–22. - PubMed
    1. Shiffman S, Brockwell SE, Pillitteri JL. et al. Use of smoking-cessation treatments in the United States. Am J Prev Med 2008; 34:102–11. - PubMed
    1. Zhu S, Melcer T, Sun J. et al. Smoking cessation with and without assistance: a population-based analysis. Am J Prev Med 2000; 18:305–11. - PubMed

Publication types

Associated data