A Randomized Trial of Targeted Educational Materials for Smoking Cessation in African Americans Using Transdermal Nicotine

Abstract

This study examines the efficacy of targeted versus standard care smoking cessation materials among urban African American smokers. Five hundred smokers (250 to each group) are randomized to receive a culturally targeted or standard care videotape and print guide. Both groups receive 8 weeks of nicotine patches and reminder telephone calls at Weeks 1 and 3. Process outcomes include material use and salience at 1 and 4 weeks postbaseline. Smoking outcomes include 7-day abstinence, smoking reduction, and readiness to quit at 4 weeks and 6 months postbaseline. Despite greater use of the targeted guide (68.8% vs. 59.6%, p < .05), intervention participants do not perceive the targeted materials as more salient, and no significant differences are found between groups on the smoking outcomes. Findings point to the importance of greater audience segmentation and individual tailoring to better match intervention materials to the needs of the priority population.

Boosting Population Quits Through Evidence-Based Cessation Treatment and Policy

“…Other studies not covered note possible differences in outcomes due to factors such as comorbidity of psychiatric or substance abuse disorders, low literacy, and low SES, and suggest that culturally tailored interventions may improve lackluster outcomes for interventions with culturally diverse subgroups. 92–94 …”

Challenges and recommendations for blinding in behavioral interventions illustrated using a case study of a behavioral intervention to lower blood pressure

“…For example, interventions delivered via print materials or videos help maintain blinding of those conducting outcome assessments by having nonstudy staff members give participants the intervention materials so that the assessors can remain blind [34]. This will further minimize bias in behavioral RCTs.…”

“…Most importantly, participants are told not to disclose their treatment group to the research assistants, a method recommended by the Evidence-Based Behavioral Medicine Committee [28] and also used effectively in other intervention studies [34]. Our participants are proactively informed at study visits and counseling sessions that they should not tell the research assistant whether or not they are receiving telephone calls.…”

Outcomes of a Tailored Intervention for Cigarette Smoking Cessation Among Latinos Living With HIV/AIDS

“…66 For example, a cessation trial 67 reported no additional benefit to culturally tailored intervention materials compared to non-tailored materials among Blacks using NRT. Given findings in this sample and other samples of PLWH, 57 interventions that specifically target adherence to NRT or pharmacotherapy may be critical to yield better cessation rates.…”