Quit and Win Contests to Improve Smoking Cessation Among College Students

University of Minnesota (UMN)

Status: Completed

Conditions: Tobacco Use Cessation

Treatments: Behavioral: Standard contest (1 month); Behavioral: Extended Contests; Behavioral: Motivational and Problem-Solving

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01096108

2008NTLS155

0901S57761 (Other Identifier)

R01 HL093114-01 (Other Grant/Funding Number)

Details and patient eligibility

About

Standard Quit and Win contests, in which smokers typically quit for one month in return for the opportunity to win prizes, are simple and easy to implement and may be cost-effective in encouraging smokers to quit. By extending contest length and enhancing counseling content, Quit and Win contests may be more effective at encouraging smoking abstinence.

This study aims to evaluate the efficacy of extended and content-enhanced Quit and Win contests to enhance smoking abstinence at college campuses.

Full description

Participants will be randomized to 1 of 4 treatment groups with varying counseling treatments and contest lengths. All participants receive a 2 week supply of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) and weekly support emails. Follow-up assessment surveys occur at 1, 3, 4 and 6 months post enrollment.

Participants who have completed the follow-up assessment surveys and self-reported that they are tobacco-free will be asked to provide a urine sample in order to verify abstinence.

Enrollment: 1,318 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Enrolled full or part-time at one of the participating campuses
• Smoke at least 10 days per month
• Intending to be in school for the entire academic year (i.e., next 2 semesters)
• Willing to provide a baseline urine sample to verify smoking status
• Able to read English
• Access to working telephone for phone-based counseling and surveys
• Access to a computer with internet access
• Provide written informed consent

Exclusion criteria

• Prior to concurrent enrollment in this study through a different college campus or in a different academic year
• those who have used a cessation aid within the last 7 days
• pregnant or planning to become pregnant in next 3 months

Trial design

1,318 participants in 4 patient groups

Standard Contest

Experimental group

Description:

Smoking abstinence, 1 prize award (month 1)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Standard contest (1 month)

Standard Contest plus MAPS

Experimental group

Description:

Smoking abstinence, 1 prize award (month 1) plus motivational and problem-solving counseling (MAPS - Counseling phone calls); 20 weeks.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Motivational and Problem-Solving

Behavioral: Standard contest (1 month)

Extended Contests

Experimental group

Description:

Smoking abstinence, 3 contest prize awards (contests 1, 2 and 3)

Treatment:

Behavioral: Extended Contests

Extended Contests plus MAPS

Experimental group

Description:

Extended quit and win contests (3 successive monthly contests) plus motivational and problem-solving counseling (MAPS). {Smoking abstinence, 3 contest prize awards (contests 1, 2 and 3) plus Counseling phone calls.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Motivational and Problem-Solving

Behavioral: Extended Contests