Effect of Nicotine Replacement Therapy on Quitting by Young Adults in a Trial Comparing Cessation
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
J
Public Health Manag Pract. 2014 Mar-Apr;20(2):E7-E15. doi:
10.1097/PHH.0b013e3182a0b8c7.
Effect of Nicotine
Replacement Therapy on Quitting by Young Adults in a Trial Comparing Cessation
Services.
Buller DB, Halperin A,
Severson HH, Borland R, Slater MD, Bettinghaus EP, Tinkelman D, Cutter GR,
Woodall WG
Young adult smokers have the highest smoking prevalence among all US age groups
but are least likely to use evidence-based cessation counseling or medication
to quit. Use and effectiveness of nicotine patch were explored in a randomized
trial evaluating smoking cessation interventions. PARTICIPANTS: Smokers aged 18
to 30 (n = 3094) were recruited through online and off-line methods and from
telephone quit lines and analyzed. DESIGN: Smokers were enrolled in a
pretest-posttest trial, and randomized to 1 of 3 cessation services. SETTING:
Trial delivering counseling services by self-help booklet, telephone quit
lines, or online expert system in the 48 continental United States. INTERVENTION:
Smokers could request a free 2-week course of nicotine replacement therapy
(NRT) patches from the project. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Follow-up surveys at 12
and 26 weeks assessed smoking abstinence, use of NRT, counseling, and other
cessation medications, and smoking-related variables. RESULTS: Overall, 69.0%
of smokers reported using NRT (M = 3.2 weeks) at 12 weeks and 74.8% (M = 3.3
weeks) at 26 weeks. More smokers who were sent the free nicotine patches (n =
1695; 54.8%) reported using NRT than those who did not receive them (12 weeks:
84.3% vs 41.9%, P < .001; 26 weeks: 87.6% vs 51.1%, P < .001). The use of
NRT was associated with greater smoking abstinence at 12 weeks (P < .001)
and 26 weeks (P < .05), especially if used for more than 2 weeks (P < .001).
Smokers assigned to a self-help booklet or cessation Web site and heavier
smokers were most likely to use NRT (P < .05), whereas those reporting
marijuana use and binge drinking used NRT less (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Many
young adults were willing to try NRT, and it appeared to help them quit in the
context of community-based cessation services. Strategies should be developed
to make NRT available to this age group and support them in using it to prevent
lifelong smoking.
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