Using Group Commitment for Smoking Cessation

University of California (UC), Berkeley

Status: Completed

Conditions: Smoking

Treatments: Behavioral: Group commitment contract; Behavioral: Smoking cessation education and counseling

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01311115

2P30AG012839-16 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

2010-04-1269

R21HD056581 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study proposes a novel behavioral intervention to help smokers in Thailand to achieve their goals of quitting. Smoking treatment programs are rare throughout most of Asia and unlikely to meet the impending demand for quitting that tobacco control regulations is stimulating. New approaches are needed.

The present study is a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a novel, scalable approach to smoking cessation that is targeted toward rural Southeast Asian communities. Thailand is used as a test case to explore if pairs of smokers quit successfully after making financially-backed commitments and receiving cash incentives to quit. The control group receives education and counseling about quitting. In addition to education and counseling about quitting, the intervention includes two key components:

1. Each participant is encouraged to deposit his "cigarette money" on a weekly basis, to be returned only if the smoker quits successfully within three months. Such commitment contracts, based on theory from behavioral economics, are designed to help a person to maintain self-control and motivation in the face of temptation.
2. Each participant is paired with another study participant. If both quit, each receives a cash bonus. The joint incentives are designed to lead partners to support each other throughout the quit attempt.

Thus, group commitment contracts marshal a robust blend of elements: financial commitment, social support, peer pressure, and monetary rewards. A larger, follow-up evaluation will clarify the relative importance of each of these elements.

Enrollment: 201 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Current smoker of at least 10 cigarettes per week and at least 100 cigarettes over the course of a lifetime
• Residents of the study area in Nakhon Nayok province, which includes the six subdistricts of Klong Yai, Chumpon, Bueng San, Pak Phli, Khao Phoem, or Ongkharak

Exclusion criteria

• Pregnant
• Plans to leave the study area within the next 12 months

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

---

201 participants in 2 patient groups

Group commitment contracts

Experimental group

Description:

In addition to education and counseling, the intervention includes the following components: 1. Each participant is encouraged to deposit his "cigarette money" on a weekly basis, to be returned only if the smoker quits successfully within three months. 2. The project gives a series of two matching contributions of 150 baht each to participants who meet certain deposit requirements. 3. Each participant is paired with another study participant. If both quit, each receives a cash bonus of 1,200 baht. At enrollment, pairs receive brief counseling on ways to support each other during the quit attempt.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Smoking cessation education and counseling

Behavioral: Group commitment contract

Education and counseling

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants in this group receive educational pamphlets about quitting smoking and one-time, group counseling from a nurse trained in smoking cessation counseling.

Treatment:

Behavioral: Smoking cessation education and counseling