Smoking among college students has increased dramatically in the past decade and has become a cause for concern. Smoking onset during the college years now accounts for 11 percent of college smokers, and 29 percent of college smokers increase their use of tobacco during the college years. Little is known about smoking cessation among college students and few intervention studies have been conducted to assist this population in achieving cessation. In this project, we will recruit 30 four-year, residential colleges in Oregon and Washington state to participate in a group-randomized project to test a comprehensive tobacco control program among college students. We will use innovative methods to reach smokers and non-smokers on campus and work with campus officials and students to create an environment supportive of non-smoking. We will use three major components of intervention: 1) collaboration with state and local Health Department funded coalitions to assist us in implementing tobacco control on college campuses; 2) development and implementation of restrictive policies to develop a non-smoking norm, and 3) provision of a telephone Quit Line and a quit smoking web-site to assist students in achieving cessation. After the 30 colleges are recruited, baseline data will be gathered from a random sample of students at each of the participating colleges. Freshmen will be over-sampled and will form a cohort of approximately 500 students per college to be followed over the project years. Key informants in administrative positions in the colleges and among local tobacco control coalitions will be interviewed. Colleges will be matched on size, survey response rates, and smoking prevalence, and randomized to intervention or control conditions. Primary outcomes of the trial will be change in campus smoking policies, smoking onset rates and cessation rates among students. Secondary outcomes include movement from occasional to regular smoking, change in perception of prevalence of student smoking, and incorporation of program activities. The sample size of 30 colleges has adequate power to assess the primary outcomes. Analysis plans include a permutation test and generalized linear mixed model, with covariates used to control confounders. Durability and dissemination of the program will be structured into the project. Departments of Health in Oregon and Washington are supporting this project and contributing in-kind resources.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Research Project (R01)
Project #
1R01CA093967-01
Application #
6422529
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZCA1-SRRB-K (01))
Program Officer
Vollinger, Robert
Project Start
2001-09-28
Project End
2005-08-31
Budget Start
2001-09-28
Budget End
2002-08-31
Support Year
1
Fiscal Year
2001
Total Cost
$1,192,790
Indirect Cost
Name
Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Department
Type
DUNS #
075524595
City
Seattle
State
WA
Country
United States
Zip Code
98109
Thompson, Beti; McLerran, Dale; Livaudais, Jennifer C et al. (2010) A group-randomized tobacco trial among 30 Pacific Northwest colleges: results from the Campus Health Action on Tobacco study. Nicotine Tob Res 12:635-46
Harris, Jennifer B; Schwartz, Stephen M; Thompson, Beti (2008) Characteristics associated with self-identification as a regular smoker and desire to quit among college students who smoke cigarettes. Nicotine Tob Res 10:69-76
Thompson, Beti; Thompson, L Anne; Hymer, Jennifer et al. (2007) A qualitative study of attitudes, beliefs, and practices among 40 undergraduate smokers. J Am Coll Health 56:23-8
Thompson, Beti; Coronado, Gloria; Chen, Lu et al. (2007) Prevalence and characteristics of smokers at 30 Pacific Northwest colleges and universities. Nicotine Tob Res 9:429-38
Thompson, Beti; Coronado, Gloria D; Chen, Lu et al. (2006) Preferred smoking policies at 30 Pacific Northwest colleges. Public Health Rep 121:586-93
Halperin, Abigail C; Thompson, L Anne; Hymer, Jennifer C et al. (2006) A case-based clinician training program for treating tobacco use in college students. Public Health Rep 121:557-62