Effect of Nicotine Replacement Therapy on Quitting by Young Adults in a Trial Comparing Cess. Serv.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
J Public Health Manag
Pract. 2014 Mar-Apr;20(2):E7-E15.
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 with this population.
PARTICIPANTS: Smokers aged 18 to 30 (n = 3094) were recruited through online
and off-line methods and from telephone quit lines. 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. 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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