Use and effectiveness of quitlines versus Web‐based tobacco cessation interventions among 4 state tobacco control programs

Abstract

BACKGROUND:Comparative effectiveness studies of state tobacco quitlines and Web-based tobacco cessation interventions are limited. In 2009, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention undertook a study of the comparative effectiveness of state quitlines and Web-based tobacco cessation interventions. METHODS: Standardized questionnaires were administered to smokers who enrolled exclusively in either quitlines or Web-based tobacco cessation services in 4 states in 2011-2012. The primary outcome was the 30-day point prevalence abstinence (PPA) rate at 7 months both between and within interventions. RESULTS: A total of 4086 participants were included in the analysis. Quitline users were significantly older, more heterogeneous in terms of race and ethnicity, less educated, less likely to be employed, and more often single than Web-based users. The 7-month 30-day PPA rate was 32% for quitline users and 27% for Web-based users. Multivariate models comparing 30-day PPA rates between interventions indicated that significantly increased odds of quitting were associated with being partnered, not living with another smoker, low baseline cigarette use, and more interactions with the intervention. After adjustments for demographic and tobacco use characteristics, quitline users had 1.26 the odds of being abstinent in comparison with Web-based users (95% confidence interval, 1.00-1.58; P 5 .053). CONCLUSIONS: This is one of the largest comparative effectiveness studies of state tobacco cessation interventions to date. These findings will help public health agencies develop and tailor evidence-based tobacco cessation programs. Further research should focus on users of Web-based cessation interventions sponsored by state health departments and their cost-effectiveness. Cancer 2016;122:1126-33. Published 2016. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Web-Based Tobacco Cessation Interventions and Digital Inequality across US Racial/Ethnic Groups

“…21 Two studies that have examined the association between race/ethnicity and selection of web-only tobacco quitline service found that, compared with non-Hispanic Whites, African Americans were less likely to choose a web-only option. 22,23 Selection of the web-only program was also lower among enrollees with low education levels, who were unemployed, older, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and those who self-identified as bi/multi-racial. 23 However, differences in the selection of web-only vs telephone counseling were likely underestimated due to the underrepresentation of African Americans and other racial/ethnic minority groups, and study attrition.…”

The Development and Evaluation of Online Smoking Cessation Services: A Narrative Literature Review

“…The methodology primarily used was to calculate cost of service per person quit, per quit attempt or per service user. In several studies, quitlines achieved significantly higher abstinence rates than online services (An et al, 2010;Neri et al, 2016). Despite this, when cost effectiveness indicators were included in outcome evaluations, online services show a considerable comparative advantage in achieving far lower cost per quit rate (Graham et al, 2013).…”

“Resilient Young Smokers” - A Proposed Study in Determining Young Adult Smokers’ Responses Towards Anti-Smoking Initiatives in Australia

“…Others viewed the campaigns in a more positive way, arguing that in spite of the effectiveness in the aspect to reduce the smoking rate, the anti-smoking initiatives had produced short-term positive outcomes. For examples, the development of awareness of health risks, motivation and intention to quit smoking, smoke less number of cigarettes per day (Brennan et al, 2011;Moodie et al, 2014;Neri et al, 2016;Tyrrell, 1998;Wakefield et al, 2015;White et al, 2003). Nevertheless, the effectiveness of the anti smoking initiatives turn out to be far less encouraging, with significant evidence that the number of smokers in Australia has increased from 21,000 to 2.4 million for the ever first time despite the rigorous implementation of anti-smoking initiatives since 2013 (Adam, 2017;Colin, 2018).…”