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The single most important determinant of future lung cancer
cases and deaths will be the ability to decrease cigarette
smoking among all population groups. This study will test
the effect of a multi-component statewide cessation contest
on smoking status and quit rates. Smoking cessation contests
engage large numbers of smokers in a targeted quit attempt
through the use of multiple forms of assistance and
incentives.
A two-group, quasi-experimental
design will be used to test the effect of participation in
the cessation contest on cigarettes smoked per day, quit
attempts, quit rates, social support, and perceived
harmfulness of tobacco and secondhand smoke. Treatment Group
participants (n=400) will be selected from contest
registrants. Control Group participants (n=400) will
be selected using random digit dialing and will meet three
eligibility requirements. Data will be collected via phone
interview at baseline, three months, and six months after
the community quit date. Urine cotinine tests will provide
biochemical validation for all participants who report
quitting at either or both follow-up interviews.
Since there have been no
controlled studies to evaluate the effectiveness of
cessation contests in reducing tobacco use and promoting
quitting, it is expected that the results from this study
will provide data on a potentially effective method of
reducing the spread of lung cancer in the population.
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