Primary Care Provider-Delivered Smoking Cessation Interventions and Smoking Cessation Among Participants in the National Lung Screening Trial

IMPORTANCE

The National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) found a reduction in lung cancer mortality among participants screened with low-dose computed tomography vs chest radiography. In February 2015, Medicare announced its decision to cover annual lung screening for patients with a significant smoking history. These guidelines promote smoking cessation treatment as an adjunct to screening, but the frequency and effectiveness of clinician-delivered smoking cessation interventions delivered after lung screening are unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the association between the reported clinician-delivered 5As (ask, advise, assess, assist [talk about quitting or recommend stop-smoking medications or recommend counseling], and arrange follow-up) after lung screening and smoking behavior changes.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A matched case-control study (cases were quitters and controls were continued smokers) of 3336 NLST participants who were smokers at enrollment examined participants' rates and patterns of 5A delivery after a lung screen and reported smoking cessation behaviors.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Prevalence of the clinician-delivered 5As and associated smoking cessation after lung screening.

RESULTS

Delivery of the 5As 1 year after screening were as follows: ask, 77.2%; advise, 75.6%; assess, 63.4%; assist, 56.4%; and arrange follow-up, 10.4%. Receipt of ask, advise, and assess was not significantly associated with quitting in multivariate models that adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics, medical history, screening results, nicotine dependence, and motivation to quit. Assist was associated with a 40% increase in the odds of quitting (odds ratio, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.21-1.63), and arrange was associated with a 46% increase in the odds of quitting (odds ratio, 1.46; 95% CI, 1.19-1.79).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Assist and arrange follow-up delivered by primary care providers to smokers who were participating in the NLST were associated with increased quitting; less intensive interventions (ask, advise, and assess) were not. However, rates of assist and arrange follow-up were relatively low. Our findings confirm the need for and benefit of clinicians taking more active intervention steps in helping patients who undergo screening to quit smoking.

The Effect of Cigarette Smoking on Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

OBJECTIVE

Studies suggest that smoking may be a risk factor for the development of microvascular complications such as diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). The objective of this study was to assess the relationship between smoking and DPN in persons with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

A systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane clinical trials databases was conducted for the period from January 1966 to November 2014 for cohort, cross-sectional and case-control studies that assessed the relationship between smoking and DPN. Separate meta-analyses for prospective cohort studies and case-control or cross-sectional studies were performed using random effects models.

RESULTS

Thirty-eight studies (10 prospective cohort and 28 cross-sectional) were included. The prospective cohort studies included 5558 participants without DPN at baseline. During follow-up ranging from 2 to 10 years, 1550 cases of DPN occurred. The pooled unadjusted odds ratio (OR) of developing DPN associated with smoking was 1.26 (95% CI 0.86-1.85; I(2) = 74%; evidence grade: low strength). Stratified analyses of the prospective studies revealed that studies of higher quality and with better levels of adjustment and longer follow-up showed a significant positive association between smoking and DPN, with less heterogeneity. The cross-sectional studies included 27,594 participants. The pooled OR of DPN associated with smoking was 1.42 (95% CI 1.21-1.65; I(2) = 65%; evidence grade: low strength). There was no evidence of publication bias.

CONCLUSIONS

Smoking may be associated with an increased risk of DPN in persons with diabetes. Further studies are needed to test whether this association is causal and whether smoking cessation reduces the risk of DPN in adults with diabetes.

Tobacco Dependence Treatment Training Programs: An International Survey

INTRODUCTION

In line with Article 14 guidelines for the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, we aimed to assess the progress in training individuals to deliver tobacco cessation treatment.

METHODS

Cross-sectional web-based survey in May-September 2013 among 122 experts in tobacco control and training from 84 countries (73% response rate among 115 countries surveyed). We measured training program prevalence, participants, and challenges faced.

RESULTS

Overall, 21% (n = 18/84) of countries, mostly low and middle-income countries (LMICs; P = .002), reported no training program. Among 66 countries reporting at least one training program, most (84%) trained healthcare professionals but 54% also trained other individuals including community health workers, teachers, and religious leaders. Most programs (54%) cited funding challenges, although stability of funding varied by income level. Government funding was more commonly reported in higher income countries (high 56%, upper middle 50%, lower middle 27%, low 25%; P = .03) while programs in LMICs relied more on nongovernmental organizations (high 11%, upper middle 37%, lower middle 27%, low 38%; P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

One in five countries reported having no tobacco treatment training program representing little progress in terms of training individuals to deliver tobacco treatment in LMICs. Without more trained tobacco treatment providers, one of the tenets of Article 14 is not yet being met and health inequalities are likely to widen. More effort and resources are needed to ensure that healthcare worker educational programs include training to assess tobacco use and deliver brief advice and that training is available for individuals outside the healthcare system in areas with limited healthcare access.

Tobacco-, alcohol-, and drug-attributable deaths and their contribution to mortality disparities in a cohort of homeless adults in Boston

OBJECTIVES

We quantified tobacco-, alcohol-, and drug-attributable deaths and their contribution to mortality disparities among homeless adults.

METHODS

We ascertained causes of death among 28 033 adults seen at the Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program in 2003 to 2008. We calculated population-attributable fractions to estimate the proportion of deaths attributable to tobacco, alcohol, or drug use. We compared attributable mortality rates with those for Massachusetts adults using rate ratios and differences.

RESULTS

Of 1302 deaths, 236 were tobacco-attributable, 215 were alcohol-attributable, and 286 were drug-attributable. Fifty-two percent of deaths were attributable to any of these substances. In comparison with Massachusetts adults, tobacco-attributable mortality rates were 3 to 5 times higher, alcohol-attributable mortality rates were 6 to 10 times higher, and drug-attributable mortality rates were 8 to 17 times higher. Disparities in substance-attributable deaths accounted for 57% of the all-cause mortality gap between the homeless cohort and Massachusetts adults.

CONCLUSIONS

In this clinic-based cohort of homeless adults, over half of all deaths were substance-attributable, but this did not fully explain the mortality disparity with the general population. Interventions should address both addiction and non-addiction sources of excess mortality.

Smoking Status Confirmation by Proxy: Validation in a Smoking Cessation Trial

INTRODUCTION

Biochemical confirmation (BC) of self-report is the gold standard of evidence for abstinence in smoking cessation research, but difficulty in obtaining samples may bias estimates of quit rates. Proxy confirmation (PC) has not been validated in cessation trials. We assessed the feasibility and validity of PC in a cessation trial for hospitalized smokers.

METHODS

We enrolled 402 daily cigarette smokers during a hospital admission. At enrollment, participants provided demographics, smoking history, and named proxies to confirm their smoking status at follow-up. Participants provided self-reported (SR) 7-day tobacco abstinence by telephone at 6 months post-discharge. SR quitters were asked to mail a saliva sample for BC. Incentives were offered for survey completion ($20) and returned samples ($50). We called proxies for all those with SR to obtain PC. Quit rates were calculated with missing data indicating smoking. We assessed associations of nonresponse with baseline characteristics using chi-squared tests and logistic regression. We calculated the sensitivity and specificity of PC in detecting smokers as determined by BC.

RESULTS

All patients named at least one proxy. Response rates were 82% for SR, 84% for PC, and 69% for BC. Observed participant characteristics were unrelated to provision of sample for BC. Estimated quit rates were 35% for SR, 27% for SR + PC, 21% for SR + BC and 27% for SR + BC or PC. Sensitivity of PC was not higher than SR (73% vs. 77%); specificity was lower (84% vs. 100%).

CONCLUSION

PC was feasible but not superior to self-report in a cessation trial.

Comparative Effectiveness of Post-Discharge Strategies for Hospitalized Smokers: study protocol for the Helping HAND 2 randomized controlled trial

Background

Smoking cessation interventions for hospitalized smokers are effective in promoting smoking cessation, but only if the tobacco dependence treatment continues after the patient leaves the hospital. Sustaining tobacco dependence treatment after hospital discharge is a challenge for health care systems. Our previous single-site randomized controlled trial demonstrated the effectiveness of an intervention that facilitated the delivery of comprehensive tobacco cessation treatment, including both medication and counseling, after hospital discharge. We subsequently streamlined the intervention model to increase its potential for dissemination. This new model is being tested in a larger multi-site trial with broader eligibility criteria in order to enroll a more representative sample of hospitalized smokers. This paper describes the trial design and contrasts it with the earlier study.

Methods/Design

A 2-arm, 3-site randomized controlled trial is testing the hypothesis that a multi-component Sustained Care intervention is more effective than Standard Care in helping hospitalized cigarette smokers stop smoking after hospital discharge. The trial enrolls adult daily cigarette smokers who are admitted to 1 of 3 participating hospitals in Massachusetts or Pennsylvania. Participants receive the same smoking cessation intervention in the hospital. They are randomly assigned to receive either Standard Care or Sustained Care after hospital discharge. Participants in the Sustained Care arm receive a free 3-month supply of FDA-approved smoking cessation medication and 5 interactive voice response calls that provide tailored motivational messages, medication refills, and access to a live tobacco treatment counselor. Participants in the Standard Care arm receive a smoking cessation medication recommendation and information about community resources. Outcomes are assessed at 1, 3, and 6 months after discharge. The primary outcome is biochemically-validated tobacco abstinence for the past 7 days at 6-month follow-up. Other outcome measures include self-reported tobacco abstinence measures, use of medication and counseling after discharge, hospital readmissions, and program cost-effectiveness.

Discussion

We adapted a proven intervention for hospitalized smokers to enhance its potential for dissemination and are testing it in a multi-site trial. Study enrollment data suggests that the trial achieved the goal of recruiting a broader sample of hospitalized smokers.

Trial registration

Comparative Effectiveness of Post-Discharge Strategies for Hospitalized Smokers (Helping HAND2) NCT01714323. Registered October 22, 2012.

Proactive tobacco cessation outreach to smokers of low socioeconomic status: a randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE

Widening socioeconomic disparities in mortality in the United States are largely explained by slower declines in tobacco use among smokers of low socioeconomic status (SES) than among those of higher SES, which points to the need for targeted tobacco cessation interventions. Documentation of smoking status in electronic health records (EHRs) provides the tools for health systems to proactively offer tobacco treatment to socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate a proactive tobacco cessation strategy that addresses sociocontextual mediators of tobacco use for low-SES smokers.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

This prospective, randomized clinical trial included low-SES adult smokers who described their race and/or ethnicity as black, Hispanic, or white and received primary care at 1 of 13 practices in the greater Boston area (intervention group, n = 399; control group, n = 308).

INTERVENTIONS

We analyzed EHRs to identify potentially eligible participants and then used interactive voice response (IVR) techniques to reach out to them. Consenting patients were randomized to either receive usual care from their own health care team or enter an intervention program that included (1) telephone-based motivational counseling, (2) free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for 6 weeks, (3) access to community-based referrals to address sociocontextual mediators of tobacco use, and (4) integration of all these components into their normal health care through the EHR system.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

Self-reported past-7-day tobacco abstinence 9 months after randomization ("quitting"), assessed by automated caller or blinded study staff.

RESULTS

The intervention group had a higher quit rate than the usual care group (17.8% vs 8.1%; odds ratio, 2.5; 95% CI, 1.5-4.0; number needed to treat, 10). We examined whether use of intervention components was associated with quitting among individuals in the intervention group: individuals who participated in the telephone counseling were more likely to quit than those who did not (21.2% vs 10.4%; P < .001). There was no difference in quitting by use of NRT. Quitting did not differ by a request for a community referral, but individuals who used their referral were more likely to quit than those who did not (43.6% vs 15.3%; P < .001).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Proactive, IVR-facilitated outreach enables engagement with low-SES smokers. Providing counseling, NRT, and access to community-based resources to address sociocontextual mediators among smokers reached in this setting is effective.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01156610.

Routine screening of hospital patients for secondhand tobacco smoke exposure: a feasibility study

OBJECTIVE

Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure causes over 40,000 deaths per year, but healthcare systems rarely address this risk factor. In September 2012, Massachusetts General Hospital initiated routine inpatient screening for SHS exposure by adding a question to the nurses' computerized admission assessment form ("Is smoking allowed in your home or car?"). We measured the implementation of this screening question over 1year.

METHODS

Multivariable analysis of hospital records of adult and pediatric admissions (N=35,701) from September 1, 2012 to August 31, 2013, to assess screening question completion and identify characteristics of nonsmokers who may be exposed to SHS.

RESULTS

Nurses entered "Yes" or "No" to the screening question for 91% of 34,295 adult admissions and 86% of 1406 pediatric admissions. Among nonsmokers, smoking in the home or car was allowed for 3% of adult admissions and 4% of pediatric admissions. Adults admitted for psychiatric diagnoses, children admitted for asthma, and patients with Medicaid insurance had higher odds of exposure to SHS in their home or car.

CONCLUSION

Routine screening of SHS among hospitalized patients by nurses is feasible. Doing so offers hospitals an opportunity to intervene and to promote smoke-free policies in patients' homes and cars.

Sustainability of a parental tobacco control intervention in pediatric practice

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether an evidence-based pediatric outpatient intervention for parents who smoke persisted after initial implementation.

METHODS

A cluster randomized controlled trial of 20 pediatric practices in 16 states that received either Clinical and Community Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure (CEASE) intervention or usual care. The intervention provided practices with training to provide evidence-based assistance to parents who smoke. The primary outcome, assessed by the 12-month follow-up telephone survey with parents, was provision of meaningful tobacco control assistance, defined as discussing various strategies to quit smoking, discussing smoking cessation medication, or recommending the use of the state quitline after initial enrollment visit. We also assessed parental quit rates at 12 months, determined by self-report and biochemical verification.

RESULTS

Practices' rates of providing any meaningful tobacco control assistance (55% vs 19%), discussing various strategies to quit smoking (25% vs 10%), discussing cessation medication (41% vs 11%), and recommending the use of the quitline (37% vs 9%) were all significantly higher in the intervention than in the control groups, respectively (P < .0001 for each), during the 12-month postintervention implementation. Receiving any assistance was associated with a cotinine-confirmed quitting adjusted odds ratio of 1.89 (95% confidence interval: 1.13-3.19). After controlling for demographic and behavioral factors, the adjusted odds ratio for cotinine-confirmed quitting in intervention versus control practices was 1.07 (95% confidence interval: 0.64-1.78).

CONCLUSIONS

Intervention practices had higher rates of delivering tobacco control assistance than usual care practices over the 1-year follow-up period. Parents who received any assistance were more likely to quit smoking; however, parents' likelihood of quitting smoking was not statistically different between the intervention and control groups. Maximizing parental quit rates will require more complete systems-level integration and adjunctive cessation strategies.

An intervention to address secondhand tobacco smoke exposure among nonsmokers hospitalized with coronary heart disease

Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) exposure increases nonsmokers' risk of coronary heart disease and worsens outcomes after hospitalization for acute coronary syndrome, but it is rarely addressed in inpatient cardiac care. We developed and assessed a hospital-based intervention to increase nonsmokers' awareness of SHS as a cardiovascular risk factor. Nonsmokers admitted to 2 cardiac units of a large Boston, Massachusetts, hospital were surveyed before (May 2010 to January 2011) and after (November 2011 to March 2012) a system-level nurse-delivered intervention was implemented in October 2011. It consisted of a revised admission form that prompted nurses to document SHS exposure at admission, provide a pamphlet about SHS risks, and advise nonsmokers to make their home and car smoke free. The primary outcome was patients' short-term recall of advice to keep their home and car smoke free. The secondary outcome was patients' awareness of the cardiovascular risk of SHS exposure. We enrolled 190 nonsmokers before and 142 nonsmokers after implementation. Adjusting for group differences, patients admitted after the system change were more likely to recall being asked if a household member smokes (24% vs 10%, adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 3.6, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.8 to 7.1, p=0.0002) and being advised to keep their home and car smoke free (28% vs 2%, AOR 27.3, 95% CI 7.8 to 95.7, p<0.0001). After the intervention, more patients believed that SHS exposure increased cardiovascular risk for nonsmokers (42% vs 21%, AOR 2.6, 95% CI 1.6 to 4.4) and for themselves (39% vs 22%, AOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3 to 3.8). In conclusion, a system-level intervention in cardiac units successfully increased hospitalized nonsmokers' awareness of the cardiovascular risk of SHS exposure.

Increasing prevalence of electronic cigarette use among smokers hospitalized in 5 US cities, 2010-2013

INTRODUCTION

Little is known about the pattern of electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) use over time or among smokers with medical comorbidity.

METHODS

We assessed current cigarette smokers' use of e-cigarettes during the 30 days before admission to 9 hospitals in 5 geographically dispersed US cities: Birmingham, AL; Boston, MA; Kansas City, KS; New York, NY; and Portland, OR. Each hospital was conducting a randomized controlled trial as part of the NIH-sponsored Consortium of Hospitals Advancing Research on Tobacco (CHART). We conducted a pooled analysis using multiple logistic regression to examine changes in e-cigarette use over time and to identify correlates of e-cigarette use.

RESULTS

Among 4,660 smokers hospitalized between July 2010 and December 2013 (mean age 57 years, 57% male, 71% white, 56% some college, average 14 cigarettes/day), 14% reported using an e-cigarette during the 30 days before admission. The prevalence of e-cigarette use increased from 1.1% in 2010 to 10.3% in 2011, 10.2% in 2012, and 18.4% in 2013; the increase was statistically significant (p < .0001) after adjustment for age, sex, education, and CHART study. Younger, better educated, and heavier smokers were more likely to use e-cigarettes. Smokers who were Hispanic, non-Hispanic black, and who had Medicaid or no insurance were less likely to use e-cigarettes. E-cigarette use also varied by CHART project and by geographic region.

CONCLUSIONS

E-cigarette use increased substantially from 2010 to 2013 among a large sample of hospitalized adult cigarette smokers. E-cigarette use was more common among heavier smokers and among those who were younger, white, and who had higher socioeconomic status.

Sustained care intervention and postdischarge smoking cessation among hospitalized adults: a randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE

Health care systems need effective models to manage chronic diseases like tobacco dependence across transitions in care. Hospitalizations provide opportunities for smokers to quit, but research suggests that hospital-delivered interventions are effective only if treatment continues after discharge.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether an intervention to sustain tobacco treatment after hospital discharge increases smoking cessation rates compared with standard care.

DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS

A randomized clinical trial compared sustained care (a postdischarge tobacco cessation intervention) with standard care among 397 hospitalized daily smokers (mean age, 53 years; 48% were males; 81% were non-Hispanic whites) who wanted to quit smoking after discharge and received a tobacco dependence intervention in the hospital; 92% of eligible patients and 44% of screened patients enrolled. The study was conducted from August 2010 through November 2012 at Massachusetts General Hospital.

INTERVENTIONS

Sustained care participants received automated interactive voice response telephone calls and their choice of free smoking cessation medication (any type approved by the US Food and Drug Administration) for up to 90 days. The automated telephone calls promoted cessation, provided medication management, and triaged smokers for additional counseling. Standard care participants received recommendations for postdischarge pharmacotherapy and counseling.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES

The primary outcome was biochemically confirmed past 7-day tobacco abstinence at 6-month follow-up after discharge from the hospital; secondary outcomes included self-reported tobacco abstinence.

RESULTS

Smokers randomly assigned to sustained care (n = 198) used more counseling and more pharmacotherapy at each follow-up assessment than those assigned to standard care (n = 199). Biochemically validated 7-day tobacco abstinence at 6 months was higher with sustained care (26%) than with standard care (15%) (relative risk [RR], 1.71 [95% CI, 1.14-2.56], P = .009; number needed to treat, 9.4 [95% CI, 5.4-35.5]). Using multiple imputation for missing outcomes, the RR for 7-day tobacco abstinence was 1.55 (95% CI, 1.03-2.21; P = .04). Sustained care also resulted in higher self-reported continuous abstinence rates for 6 months after discharge (27% vs 16% for standard care; RR, 1.70 [95% CI, 1.15-2.51]; P = .007).

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE

Among hospitalized adult smokers who wanted to quit smoking, a postdischarge intervention providing automated telephone calls and free medication resulted in higher rates of smoking cessation at 6 months compared with a standard recommendation to use counseling and medication after discharge. These findings, if replicated, suggest an approach to help achieve sustained smoking cessation after a hospital stay.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01177176.

Thirdhand smoke beliefs of parents

OBJECTIVE

To determine if the belief that thirdhand smoke is harmful to children is associated with smoking parents' attitudes, home or car smoking policies, and quitting behaviors.

METHODS

Data from a national randomized controlled trial, Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure, assessed thirdhand smoke beliefs of 1947 smoking parents in an exit survey after a pediatric office visit in 10 intervention and 10 control practices. Twelve-month follow-up data were collected from 1355 parents. Multivariable logistic regression determined whether belief that thirdhand smoke harms the health of children is independently associated with parental behaviors and attitudes 12 months later. A χ(2) test assessed whether parents who disagreed that thirdhand smoke is harmful were more likely to make a quit attempt if they later believed that thirdhand smoke is harmful.

RESULTS

Belief at the exit survey that thirdhand smoke is harmful was independently associated with having a strictly enforced smoke-free home policy (adjusted odds ratio: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.37-3.05) and car policy (adjusted odds ratio: 1.69; 95% CI: 1.04-2.74) at the 12-month follow-up. A significantly higher percentage (71% vs 50%) of parents who did not hold the thirdhand smoke harm belief at baseline made at least 1 quit attempt if they agreed that thirdhand smoke is harmful at the 12-month follow-up (P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

Thirdhand smoke harm belief was associated with a strictly enforced smoke-free home and car and attempts to quit smoking. Sensitizing parents to thirdhand smoke risk could facilitate beneficial tobacco control outcomes.

Addressing tobacco use in homeless populations: a survey of health care professionals

Cigarette smoking is common among homeless individuals, but little is known about health care providers' practices and attitudes in addressing tobacco use in this vulnerable population. We surveyed members of the Health Care for the Homeless Clinicians' Network, a nationwide multidisciplinary organization, to assess their tobacco screening practices, attitudes toward addressing tobacco use, and experience providing tobacco products to homeless individuals. Of 231 clinicians who completed the survey, 86.5% reported routinely screening for tobacco use. Although 74.4% of respondents viewed tobacco use as one of the most important health issues among homeless people, rates of agreement with this and other attitudes toward tobacco use in the setting of homelessness varied significantly by clinical discipline. Overall, 15.3% of respondents reported having ever given patients tobacco to build trust or promote adherence to care. Addressing providers' attitudinal variations and tobacco distribution practices may foster a more consistent anti-smoking message for this population.

Clinical strategies to enhance the efficacy of nicotine replacement therapy for smoking cessation: a review of the literature

A number of smoking cessation pharmacotherapies have led to increases in quitting and thus to significant benefits to public health. Among existing medications, nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) has been available the longest, has the largest literature base in support, and is the only option for over-the-counter access. While the short-term efficacy of NRT is well documented in clinical trials, long-term abstinence rates associated with using NRT are modest, as most smokers will relapse. This literature review examines emerging clinical strategies to improve NRT efficacy. After an initial overview of NRT and its FDA-approved indications for use, we review randomized trials in which clinical delivery of NRT was manipulated and tested, in an attempt to enhance efficacy, through (1) duration of use (pre-quit and extended use), (2) amount of use (high-dose and combination NRT), (3) tailoring to specific smoker groups (genotype and phenotype), or (4) use of NRT for novel purposes (relapse prevention, temporary abstinence, cessation induction). Outcomes vary within and across topic area, and we highlight areas that offer stronger promise. Combination NRT likely represents the most promising strategy moving forward; other clinical strategies offer conflicting evidence but deserve further testing (pre-quit NRT or tailored treatment) or offer potential utility but are in need of further, direct tests. Some areas, though based on a limited set of studies, do not offer great promise (high-dose and extended treatment NRT). We conclude with a brief discussion of emergent NRT products (e.g., oral nicotine spray, among others), which may ultimately offer greater efficacy than current formulations. In order to further lower the prevalence of smoking, novel strategies designed to optimize NRT efficacy are needed.

A qualitative study of lung cancer risk perceptions and smoking beliefs among national lung screening trial participants

INTRODUCTION

The National Comprehensive Cancer Network and the American Cancer Society recently released lung screening guidelines that include smoking cessation counseling for smokers undergoing screening. Previous work indicates that smoking behaviors and risk perceptions of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) participants were relatively unchanged. We explored American College of Radiology Imaging Network (ACRIN)/NLST former and current smokers' risk perceptions specifically to (a) determine whether lung screening is a cue for behavior change, (b) elucidate risk perceptions for lung cancer and smoking-related diseases, and (c) explore postscreening behavioral intentions and changes.

METHODS

A random sample of 35 participants from 4 ACRIN sites were qualitatively interviewed 1-2 years postscreen. We used a structured interview guide based on Health Belief Model and Self-Regulation Model constructs. Content analyses were conducted with NVivo 8.

RESULTS

Most participants endorsed high-risk perceptions for lung cancer and smoking-related diseases, but heightened concern about these risks did not appear to motivate participants to seek screening. Risk perceptions were mostly attributed to participants' heavy smoking histories; former smokers expressed greatly reduced risk. Lung cancer and smoking-related diseases were perceived as very severe although participants endorsed low worry. Current smokers had low confidence in their ability to quit, and none reported quitting following their initial screen.

CONCLUSIONS

Lung screening did not appear to be a behavior change cue to action, and high-risk perceptions did not translate into quitting behaviors. Cognitive and emotional dissonance and avoidance strategies may deter engagement in smoking behavior change. Smoking cessation and prevention interventions during lung screening should explore risk perceptions, emotions, and quit confidence.

Strict smoke-free home policies among smoking parents in pediatric settings

OBJECTIVE

To examine strict smoke-free home policies among smoking parents assessed in pediatric offices.

METHODS

We analyzed baseline parental survey data from 10 control practices in a national trial of pediatric office-based tobacco control interventions (Clinical Effort Against Secondhand Smoke Exposure, CEASE). We used logistic regression models with generalized estimating equations to examine factors associated with strict smoke-free home policies.

RESULTS

Subjects were 952 parents who were current smokers. Just over half (54.3%) reported strict smoke-free home policies. Few reported being asked (19.9%) or advised (17.1%) regarding policies by pediatricians. Factors associated with higher odds of policies were child 5 years or younger (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 2.43, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.53, 3.86), nonblack race/ethnicity (aORs 2.17-2.60, 95% CIs 1.25-5.00), non-Medicaid (HMO/private (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.31, 2.58); self-pay/other aOR 1.76, 95% CI 1.12, 2.78); well-child versus sick child visit (aOR 1.61, 95% CI 1.11, 2.34), fewer than 10 cigarettes per day (aOR 1.80, 95% CI 1.31, 2.47), no other home smokers (aOR 1.68, 95% CI 1.26, 2.25), only father smoking (aOR 1.73, 95% CI 1.06, 2.83), and strict smoke-free car policy (aOR 3.51, 95% CI 2.19, 5.64).

CONCLUSIONS

Nearly half of smoking parents did not have strict smoke-free home policies. Parents were less likely to report policies if they were heavier smokers, black, living with other smokers, or attending a sick child visit; if they did not have a young child or smoke-free car policy; if they had a child on Medicaid; and if anyone other than only the father smoked. Few pediatricians addressed or recommended strict smoke-free home policies in an office visit. The pediatric office encounter represents a currently missed opportunity to intervene regarding smoke-free homes, particularly for high-risk groups.

Homelessness, cigarette smoking and desire to quit: results from a US national study

AIMS

We determined whether or not homelessness is associated with cigarette smoking independent of other socio-economic measures and behavioral health factors, and whether homeless smokers differ from non-homeless smokers in their desire to quit.

DESIGN, SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS

We analyzed data from 2678 adult respondents to the 2009 Health Center Patient Survey, a nationally representative cross-sectional survey of homeless and non-homeless individuals using US federally funded community health centers.

MEASUREMENTS

We used multivariable logistic regression to examine the association between homelessness and (i) current cigarette smoking among all adults, and (ii) past-year desire to quit among current smokers, adjusting for demographic, socio-economic and behavioral health characteristics.

FINDINGS

Adults with any history of homelessness were more likely than never homeless respondents to be current smokers (57 versus 27%, P < 0.001). In multivariable models, a history of homelessness was associated independently with current smoking [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) 2.09; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.49-2.93], even after adjusting for age, sex, race, veteran status, insurance, education, employment, income, mental illness and alcohol and drug abuse. Housing status was not associated significantly with past-year desire to stop smoking in unadjusted (P = 0.26) or adjusted (P = 0.60) analyses; 84% of currently homeless, 89% of formerly homeless and 82% of never homeless smokers reported wanting to quit.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients of US health centers, a history of homelessness doubles the odds of being a current smoker independent of other socio-economic factors and behavioral health conditions. However, homeless smokers do not differ from non-homeless smokers in their desire to quit and should be offered effective interventions.

Undertreatment of tobacco use relative to other chronic conditions

OBJECTIVES

We compared the likelihood that a tobacco user would receive treatment with the likelihood that an adult with another common chronic condition would receive treatment for that condition at an office visit.

METHODS

We analyzed data from the 2005-2007 National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey to compare the proportion of US office visits at which tobacco users and individuals with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, asthma, or depression received condition-specific treatment. We calculated the odds that a visit for a comparison condition would result in treatment relative to a visit for tobacco dependence.

RESULTS

From 2005 to 2007, 38, 004 patient visits involved at least 1 study condition. Tobacco users received medication at fewer visits (4.4%) than individuals with hypertension (57.4%), diabetes (46.2%), hyperlipidemia (47.1%), asthma (42.6%), and depression (53.3%). In multivariate analyses, the odds for pharmacological treatment of these disorders relative to tobacco use were, for hypertension, 32.8; diabetes, 20.9; hyperlipidemia, 16.5; asthma, 22.1; and depression, 24.0 (all Ps < .001). Patients with hypertension, diabetes, or hyperlipidemia were also more likely to receive behavioral counseling.

CONCLUSIONS

Alternate models of engagement may be needed to enhance use of effective treatments for tobacco use.