Immediate and six-month effects of Project Ex Russia: A smoking cessation intervention pilot program

Abstract

This study evaluates the performance of the Project EX tobacco use cessation program in Russian summer recreational camps. An eight-session clinic-based tobacco use cessation program for adolescents was tested during the summer of 2011 in an experimental pilot trial that involved different youth that rotated through camps. Conditions were nested within camps. Two rotations of unique subject groups of smokers (program and standard care control) through each of five camps provided the means of controlling for campsite by condition. Assignment of condition by rotation was random (by a flip of a coin), achieving reasonable baseline comparability (total n=164 smokers at baseline, 76 program group, 88 standard care control group). Evaluation involved an immediate pretest and posttest and a six-month telephone follow-up. At immediate posttest, Project EX was moderately well-received, significantly reduced future smoking expectation (46% reduction in EX Program Condition versus 8% in Control, p<.0001), decreased intention to not quit smoking (−5.2% in EX versus +1.4% in Control, p<.05), and increased motivation to quit

One-year effects of Project EX: A smoking intervention pilot program with Spanish adolescents

“…they did not have to stay after school). In Spain, however, as in other international settings where Project EX is being implemented (Idrisov et al, 2013; Sussman, 2012), no incentives were included for attending the program sessions. Second, the original curriculum targets “tobacco” use which includes smokeless tobacco, pipes, cigars, and chewing tobacco.…”

Immediate Effects of Project EX in Spain

“…The Project EX tobacco use cessation program in Russia (Idrisov et al., 2013) significantly reduced future smoking expectation, decreased intention to no quit smoking, and increased motivation to quit smoking at immediate posttest. The program also resulted in higher quit rates at the 6-month follow-up.…”

“…Participants were told that they would obtain credits for participating in the program. In Spain, as in other international settings within which Project EX is being translated (Idrisov et al., 2013; Sussman, 2012), there were no incentives for attending at the program sessions. Third, all names of characters in the talk shows (see Sussman et al., 2001) were changed from American to Spanish names.…”

“…Assessment-day smoking behavior was assessed with the item asking “Did you smoke tobacco today?” The level of nicotine dependence was assessed with the 8-item modified Fagerstrom Tolerance Questionnaire (mFTQ) (Idrisov et al., 2013; Prokhorov, Pallonen, Fava, Ding, & Niaura, 1996; Prokhorov et al., 2000). To assess smoking intention (e.g., Fagan et al., 2007), students were assessed with the question, “Do you think you will ever quit smoking cigarettes?,” with response categories being 0: I never smoke cigarettes , 1: Yes, I already have , 2: Yes, I will sometime in the future , 3: Yes, I will in the next few weeks , 4: Maybe , and 5: No .…”

“…Project EX is an empirically validated teen tobacco use cessation program and provides motivation-coping skills-commitment material (Milton et al, 2004). In its clinic version, Project EX has shown positive 3-6-month outcome effects over three experimental trials and one multiple baseline single group trial (Idrisov et al, 2013;Sussman, 2013;Sussman et al, 2004). While the schoolbased clinic version of Project EX has been found to be effective in the United States, China, and Russia, international translation research on Project EX thus far has been limited to those smokers who attend the clinic.…”