Cigarettes are a major cause of disease and excess mortality. Techniques that can assist smokers in quitting would have obvious health benefits. The proposed investigation examines clinic approaches to smoking sessation. It compares within the frame-work of a single focused study leading public service methods (American Cancer Society, American Lung Association) and a promising experimental procedure developed by the principal investigator. Intensive publicity will be devoted to the availability of help for smoking cessation in three target communities: Des Moines, Waterloo, and Cedar Rapids. Subjects will be assigned randomly to the American Lung Association, the American Cancer Society, or the Lando method. Key elements are hypothesized to include group support, target date for quitting, and specific preparation leading to the target date. On this basis, the order of outcome for clinics is predicted to be: Lando, American Lung Association, American Cancer Society. Detailed smoking history, demographic and environmental data will allow assessment of characteristics of smokers and of factors associated with the maintenance of nonsmoking. Replication in three communities will increase confidence in the generalizability of the results and will permit recruitment of an adequate subject pool to detect relatively small effects. Quantitative assessment of group cohesiveness will provide an important indication of level of support and of the relationship between level of support and outcome. This study is conceptualized as part of a comprehensive broad-spectrum approach to the problems of smoking prevention and cessation. Parental smoking models are one of the strongest determinants of adolescent uptake of the tobacco habit.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
5R01DA003950-02
Application #
3208824
Study Section
Drug Abuse Epidemiology and Prevention Research Review Committee (DAPA)
Project Start
1985-07-01
Project End
1988-06-30
Budget Start
1986-07-01
Budget End
1987-06-30
Support Year
2
Fiscal Year
1986
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
Iowa State University
Department
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
City
Ames
State
IA
Country
United States
Zip Code
50011
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McGovern, P G; Lando, H A (1991) Reduced nicotine exposure and abstinence outcome in two nicotine fading methods. Addict Behav 16:11-20
Koehler, K J; McGovern, P G (1990) An application of the LFP survival model to smoking cessation data. Stat Med 9:409-21
Lando, H A; McGovern, P G; Barrios, F X et al. (1990) Comparative evaluation of American Cancer Society and American Lung Association smoking cessation clinics. Am J Public Health 80:554-9
Lando, H A; Kalb, E A; McGovern, P G (1988) Behavioral self-help materials as an adjunct to nicotine gum. Addict Behav 13:181-4
Lando, H A (1987) Lay facilitators as effective smoking cessation counselors. Addict Behav 12:69-72