The role of pain in quitting among human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-positive smokers enrolled in a smoking cessation trial

Factors Influencing Tobacco Smoking and Cessation Among People Living with HIV: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Tobacco smoking is highly prevalent among people living with HIV (PLWH), yet there is a lack of data on smoking behaviours and effective treatments in this population. Understanding factors influencing tobacco smoking and cessation is crucial to guide the design of effective interventions. This systematic review and meta-analysis of studies conducted in both high-income (HICs) and low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) synthesised existing evidence on associated factors of smoking and cessation behaviour among PLWH. Male gender, substance use, and loneliness were positively associated with current smoking and negatively associated with smoking abstinence. The association of depression with current smoking and lower abstinence rates were observed only in HICs. The review did not identify randomised controlled trials conducted in LMICs. Findings indicate the need to integrate smoking cessation interventions with mental health and substance use services, provide greater social support, and address other comorbid conditions as part of a comprehensive approach to treating tobacco use in this population. Consistent support from health providers trained to provide advice and treatment options is also an important component of treatment for PLWH engaged in care, especially in LMICs.

The Impact of Smoking on the Development and Severity of Chronic Pain

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The purpose of this review is to examine the impact of smoking and its role on the development of chronic pain and provide a critical review of recent literature.

RECENT FINDINGS

Recent studies demonstrate the bidirectional and dependent relationship between smoking and chronic pain. Those who are in pain have a more difficult time in the cessation of smoking as well as an increased sensitivity to pain during abstinence, lower confidence, and higher relapse rates. The fear of pain and the anxiety and depression that abstinence causes results in a grim outcome for long-term cessation. The dependent nature between chronic pain and smoking is affected by numerous variables. Providers should consider a multiprong approach to treating chronic pain and targeting smoking cessation treatment by providing motivational therapy, nicotine replacement, and medication therapies to prevent relapse, and providing those who are more likely to relapse with a higher level of care.

Increasing cessation motivation and treatment engagement among smokers in pain: A pilot randomized controlled trial

Tobacco smokers with co-occurring pain report greater difficulty quitting, face unique cessation challenges, and may benefit from targeted smoking interventions. We developed and tested a brief motivational intervention aimed at increasing knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations, motivation to quit, and cessation treatment engagement among smokers in pain. Nontreatment seeking daily cigarette smokers with chronic pain (N = 76, 57.9% women, 52.6% White) were randomized to the targeted or ask, advise, refer (AAR) intervention. The targeted intervention included personalized feedback and pain-smoking psychoeducation to help participants develop discrepancy between continued smoking and desired pain outcomes. At postintervention, the targeted intervention (vs. AAR) increased knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations and several indices of motivation to quit smoking (ps < .01). Participants who received the targeted intervention were also more likely to accept information about and report intention to engage evidence-based cessation treatments (ps < .05). Increased knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations mediated postintervention effects on motivation to quit and willingness to learn about treatments. At 1-month follow up, gains in knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations were maintained (p = .009). Participants who received the targeted intervention were more likely to report having subsequently engaged cessation treatment (p = .019), but this was not mediated by increased knowledge of pain-smoking interrelations. Smokers with chronic pain may benefit from targeted interventions that address smoking in the context of pain. Smokers in pain may become increasingly motivated to quit and engage cessation treatment as they become aware of how smoking may exacerbate their pain. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).

Evaluating the Efficacy of Automated Smoking Treatment for People With HIV: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial

Background

Smoking prevalence rates among people with HIV are nearly 3 times higher than those in the general population. Nevertheless, few smoking cessation trials targeting smokers with HIV have been reported in the literature. Efforts to develop and evaluate sustainable, low-cost, and evidence-based cessation interventions for people with HIV are needed. Given the widespread proliferation of mobile phones, the potential of using mobile health apps to improve the reach and efficacy of cessation interventions is promising, but evidence of efficacy is lacking, particularly among people with HIV.

Objective

This study will consist of a 2-group randomized controlled trial to evaluate a fully automated smartphone intervention for people with HIV seeking cessation treatment.

Methods

Participants (N=500) will be randomized to receive either standard treatment (ST; 250/500, 50%) or automated treatment (AT; 250/500, 50%). ST participants will be connected to the Florida Quitline and will receive nicotine replacement therapy in the form of transdermal patches and lozenges. This approach, referred to as Ask Advise Connect, was developed by our team and has been implemented in numerous health systems. ST will be compared with AT, a fully automated behavioral treatment approach. AT participants will receive nicotine replacement therapy and an interactive smartphone-based intervention that comprises individually tailored audiovisual and text content. The major goal is to determine whether AT performs better in terms of facilitating long-term smoking abstinence than the more resource-intensive ST approach. Our primary aim is to evaluate the efficacy of AT in facilitating smoking cessation among people with HIV. As a secondary aim, we will explore potential mediators and moderators and conduct economic evaluations to assess the cost and cost-effectiveness of AT compared with ST.

Results

The intervention content has been developed and finalized. Recruitment and enrollment will begin in the fall of 2021.

Conclusions

There is a critical need for efficacious, cost-effective, and sustainable cessation treatments for people with HIV who smoke. The AT intervention was designed to help fill this need. If efficacy is established, the AT approach will be readily adoptable by HIV clinics and community-based organizations, and it will offer an efficient way to allocate limited public health resources to tobacco control interventions.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05014282; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT05014282

International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)

PRR1-10.2196/33183

Pain and smoking study (PASS): A comparative effectiveness trial of smoking cessation counseling for veterans with chronic pain

Introduction

Smoking is associated with greater pain intensity and pain-related functional interference in people with chronic pain. Interventions that teach smokers with chronic pain how to apply adaptive coping strategies to promote both smoking cessation and pain self-management may be effective.

Methods

The Pain and Smoking Study (PASS) is a randomized clinical trial of a telephone-delivered, cognitive behavioral intervention among Veterans with chronic pain who smoke cigarettes. PASS participants are randomized to a standard telephone counseling intervention that includes five sessions focusing on motivational interviewing, craving and relapse management, rewards, and nicotine replacement therapy versus the same components with the addition of a cognitive behavioral intervention for pain management. Participants are assessed at baseline, 6, and 12 months. The primary outcome is smoking cessation.

Results

The 371 participants are 88% male, a median age of 60 years old (range 24–82), and smoke a median of 15 cigarettes per day. Participants are mainly white (61%), unemployed (70%), 33% had a high school degree or less, and report their overall health as “Fair” (40%) to “Poor” (11%). Overall, pain was moderately high (mean pain intensity in past week = 5.2 (Standard Deviation (SD) = 1.6) and mean pain interference = 5.5 (SD = 2.2)). Pain-related anxiety was high (mean = 47.0 (SD = 22.2)) and self-efficacy was low (mean = 3.8 (SD = 1.6)).

Conclusions

PASS utilizes an innovative smoking and pain intervention to promote smoking cessation among Veterans with chronic pain. Baseline characteristics reflect a socioeconomically vulnerable population with a high burden of mental health comorbidities.

Tobacco Use and Health-Related Quality of Life Among Individuals with Depression Who Are Receiving Treatment for HIV in Cape Town, South Africa

BACKGROUND

Tobacco use is the leading cause of preventable death worldwide, and prevalence rates are high among people living with HIV (PLWH), particularly in men. Depression is also common among PLWH, especially among smokers, who may use tobacco to manage mood. Although HIV and depression have been linked to functional impairment and poor health-related quality of life (HRQOL), little research has examined the degree to which smoking impacts these relationships in low- and middle-income countries with high HIV burden.

METHOD

Participants (N = 289) were people living with HIV (PLWH) who were being assessed for inclusion in a study targeting depression as a barrier to HIV medication adherence. Linear regression models measured the effect of gender on tobacco use (assessed by the WHO-ASSIST) and on each of the five HRQOL functional impairment domains (assessed by the SF-21). Separate multivariable regression models examined the relationships between habitual tobacco use, defined as daily, almost daily, or weekly use, and the HRQOL domains.

RESULTS

The prevalence of habitual tobacco use was 23.9% (48.1% among men, 15.5% among women). Habitual tobacco use was associated with decreased cognitive functioning for the whole sample (B = - 8.99, p < 0.05) and with lower levels of pain-related impairment for men (B = 18.1, p < 0.05). Although men reported more tobacco use (B = 8.50, p < 0.001), they reported less pain-related limitations than women (B = 8.70, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

In our sample, men reported higher rates of habitual tobacco use than women. Smoking was associated with cognitive impairment and with less pain-related impairment among men. Future smoking cessation treatments tailored to PLWH who have symptoms of depression may benefit from strategies that consider pain management as a pathway to habitual smoking and recognize that motivations for use may differ by gender.

Pain Status as a Predictor of Smoking Cessation Initiation, Lapse, and Relapse

INTRODUCTION

Pain and cigarette smoking are highly prevalent and frequently co-occurring conditions that interact in the manner of a positive feedback loop. Despite initial evidence that smokers with co-occurring pain may experience greater difficulty quitting, we are unaware of previous research that has tested prospective associations between pain status and the attainment of smoking cessation milestones.

AIMS AND METHODS

This study examined past 2-week pain status as a predictor of cessation milestones among current smokers who were motivated to quit (Sample 1; N = 301) and smokers who recently initiated a cessation attempt (Sample 2; N = 242). Cessation milestones included initiation of a quit attempt and 7-day point prevalence abstinence (PPA; Sample 1), lapse/relapse (Sample 2), and 7-day PPA at 2-month follow-up (both samples). Indirect associations between pain status and cessation milestones via confidence in quitting and nicotine withdrawal were also examined.

RESULTS

Smokers with pain (vs. no pain) were as follows: less likely to initiate a quit attempt and achieve 7-day PPA; more likely to lapse and/or relapse; and less likely to report 7-day PPA at follow-up. Pain status was indirectly associated with latency cessation milestones via confidence in quitting and with latency to lapse via withdrawal severity.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that pain status can predict smoking cessation outcomes. Clinical implications include the need to assess pain in the context of quitting and that smokers with co-occurring pain may benefit from tailored/integrated cessation interventions.

IMPLICATIONS

A growing empirical literature indicates that the presence of co-occurring pain probably contributes to the maintenance of cigarette dependence. The current results provide novel evidence that smokers with co-occurring past 2-week pain are less likely to initiate a quit attempt and maintain smoking abstinence than smokers without co-occurring pain. These findings suggest that smokers with pain face unique barriers to quitting and underscore the utility of assessing and addressing pain among all smokers who are planning a smoking cessation attempt.

Perceived Pain and Smoking Interrelations and Expectancies Are Associated With Pain and Smoking Cessation in Individuals With Mobility Impairments

INTRODUCTION

Smoking and pain are highly prevalent among individuals with mobility impairments (MIs; use assistive devices to ambulate). The role of pain-related smoking motives and expectancies in smoking cessation is unknown. We examined cross-sectional and prospective associations between a novel measure of pain-related smoking motives (how smokers with pain perceive their pain and smoking to be interrelated) and pain and smoking behavior in smokers with MI.

METHODS

This is a secondary data analysis of a smoking cessation induction trial (N = 263; 55% female) in smokers with MI. Participants did not have to want to quit to enroll. Pain-related smoking motives and expectancies were assessed at baseline with the pain and smoking inventory (PSI) which measures perceived pain and smoking interrelations in three distinct but related domains (smoking to cope with pain, pain as a motivator of smoking and as a barrier to cessation). Other measures included pain occurrence and interference, nicotine dependence, motivation and self-efficacy to quit smoking, and number of cigarettes per day. Biochemically verified smoking abstinence was assessed at 6 months.

RESULTS

PSI scores were significantly higher among smokers with chronic pain occurrence compared to occasional and to no occurrence (p < .002) and were associated with greater pain interference (ps < .01) and lower self-efficacy to quit smoking (ps < .01). In prospective analyses adjusted for age, treatment group, and chronic pain, only expectancies of smoking to help cope with pain predicted lower odds of abstinence.

CONCLUSIONS

Targeting expectancies of smoking as a mechanism to cope with pain may be useful in increasing smoking cessation in pain populations.

IMPLICATIONS

Individuals with MI have a high prevalence of smoking and pain, yet the extent to which this population perceives pain and smoking to be interrelated is unknown. This is the first article to examine prospective associations between a novel measure of perceived pain and smoking interrelations (PSI) and smoking outcomes. The PSI was associated with greater pain and lower self-efficacy for quitting. Prospectively, the PSI subscale tapping into expectancies that smoking help coping with pain predicted a lower probability of smoking abstinence. In smokers with MI, expectancies of smoking as pain-coping mechanism may be an important clinical target.

An update on drug-drug interactions between antiretroviral therapies and drugs of abuse in HIV systems

INTRODUCTION

While considerable progress has been made in the fight against HIV/AIDS, to date there has not been a cure, and millions of people around the world are currently living with HIV/AIDS. People living with HIV/AIDS have substance abuse disorders at higher rates than non-infected individuals, which puts them at an increased risk of drug-drug interactions.

AREAS COVERED

Potential drug-drug interactions are reviewed for a variety of potential drugs of abuse, both licit and illicit. These drugs include alcohol, cigarettes or other nicotine delivery systems, methamphetamine, cocaine, opioids, and marijuana. Potential interactions include decreased adherence, modulation of drug transporters, or modulation of metabolic enzymes. We also review the relative incidence of the use of these drugs of abuse in People living with HIV/AIDS.

EXPERT OPINION

Despite considerable improvements in outcomes, disparities in outcomes between PLWHA who use drugs of abuse, vs those who do not still exist. It is of critical necessity to improve outcomes in these patients and to work with them to stop abusing drugs of abuse.

Perceived Interrelations of Pain and Cigarette Smoking in a Sample of Adult Smokers Living With HIV/AIDS

INTRODUCTION

Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) have very high prevalences of both cigarette smoking and pain, yet little is known about the relationship between smoking and pain for PLWH. This study examined the factor structure, reliability, and validity of a measure of perceived interrelations of pain and smoking in a sample of PLWH.

METHODS

Participants in this study were 108 current cigarette smoking PLWH (64.8% reporting current pain) in the Bronx, NY. Participants completed assessments of demographics, smoking behaviors, and pain. Interrelations of pain and smoking were measured using the 9-item Pain and Smoking Inventory (PSI). The dimensionality of the PSI was evaluated using Horn's Parallel Analysis and exploratory factor analysis. Internal consistency was evaluated using Cronbach's alpha, and validity analyses evaluated the relationship between the PSI and demographics, HIV clinical characteristics, smoking, and pain in the total sample.

RESULTS

A single-factor structure was the best fit for the PSI. The internal consistency of the PSI total score was excellent in the total sample (α = 0.94) and among participants with pain (α = 0.93). The PSI total score was significantly higher for PLWH who smoke and had current pain versus no current pain. Among smokers with HIV and pain, higher PSI scores were associated with higher pain interference, pain severity, and certain neuropathic pain symptoms (ie, numbness and pain to touch).

CONCLUSIONS

Among a sample of PLWH, the PSI appeared to be a reliable and valid instrument as a one-factor measure to assess perceived interrelations among pain and cigarette smoking.

IMPLICATIONS

Even though PLWH have very high prevalences of both pain and cigarette smoking, little is known about the relationship between pain and smoking for PLWH. This study is the first to examine a measure of the perceived interrelations of pain and smoking in a sample of PLWH. The measure was reliable and valid, and higher scores, reflecting that higher perceived interrelations of pain and smoking, were associated with more intense pain and pain interference. Learning more about pain and smoking among PLWH will help to better target smoking interventions to this key subgroup of smokers.

A Qualitative Systematic Review of Cigarette Smoking Cessation Interventions for Persons Living with HIV

Persons living with HIV (PLWH) have disproportionately high rates of both cigarette smoking and tobacco-induced negative health outcomes. The goal of this qualitative systematic review was to identify gaps in the existing literature and future directions for smoking cessation support for PLWH. Three online databases were searched from their inception through December 31, 2017, using designated search terms. Peer-reviewed English-language articles that documented an intervention designed to increase smoking cessation among PLWH were reviewed. Data were abstracted using a standardized form to document study and intervention characteristics and results. Thirty-two articles, describing 28 unique intervention studies, met inclusion criteria. Interventions consisted primarily of combinations of counseling, pharmacotherapy, and the use of information and communications technology; few interventions were implemented at the clinic level. Thirteen interventions resulted in significant improvements in cessation-related outcomes. Information and communications technology and clinic-level interventions had the greatest potential for increasing smoking cessation among PLWH. Efficacious interventions designed for PLWH in the US South, and for groups of PLWH facing additional health disparities (e.g., communities of color and sexual and gender minorities), are needed. There is also a need for more rigorous research designs to test the efficacy of interventions designed to increase cessation-related outcomes among PLWH.

Pain characteristics and nicotine deprivation as predictors of performance during a laboratory paradigm of smoking cessation

Although smokers with co-occurring pain report expectations for experiencing greater nicotine withdrawal and difficulty quitting, limited work has examined the role of pain in cessation-related outcomes. The goal of this study was to examine clinically relevant pain characteristics (pain persistence, pain intensity, pain-related disability) as predictors of withdrawal and smoking lapse/relapse outcomes using a laboratory paradigm of cessation. Participants (N = 120 daily cigarette smokers; 48% male; M_age = 36.17, SD = 12.16; M_{Cigarettes Per Day} = 20.51, SD = 6.99) were randomized to either nondeprived or 12-hr nicotine deprivation conditions prior to an experimental study visit. Upon arrival to the laboratory, participants completed measures of pain characteristics and nicotine withdrawal symptoms. Primary outcomes included nicotine withdrawal scores and analogues of smoking lapse (latency to initiating smoking) and relapse (number of cigarettes smoked). We hypothesized that smokers with greater pain persistence, pain intensity, and pain-related disability would endorse more severe nicotine withdrawal and greater lapse/relapse behavior, and that these positive associations would be stronger among those who were nicotine deprived. Results indicated that, above and beyond the effect of nicotine deprivation, persistent pain predicted more severe nicotine withdrawal, and that greater pain-related disability predicted quicker latency to lapse during the laboratory paradigm. Contrary to expectation, nicotine deprivation did not moderate effects of pain characteristics on withdrawal or lapse/relapse outcomes. Clinical implications include that different pain processes may influence different cessation outcomes, and that smokers in pain may benefit from the provision of pharmacological aids to better control withdrawal symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2020 APA, all rights reserved).

Mobile phone text messaging and app-based interventions for smoking cessation

BACKGROUND

Mobile phone-based smoking cessation support (mCessation) offers the opportunity to provide behavioural support to those who cannot or do not want face-to-face support. In addition, mCessation can be automated and therefore provided affordably even in resource-poor settings. This is an update of a Cochrane Review first published in 2006, and previously updated in 2009 and 2012.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether mobile phone-based smoking cessation interventions increase smoking cessation rates in people who smoke.

SEARCH METHODS

For this update, we searched the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group's Specialised Register, along with clinicaltrials.gov and the ICTRP. The date of the most recent searches was 29 October 2018.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Participants were smokers of any age. Eligible interventions were those testing any type of predominantly mobile phone-based programme (such as text messages (or smartphone app) for smoking cessation. We included randomised controlled trials with smoking cessation outcomes reported at at least six-month follow-up.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS

We used standard methodological procedures described in the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions. We performed both study eligibility checks and data extraction in duplicate. We performed meta-analyses of the most stringent measures of abstinence at six months' follow-up or longer, using a Mantel-Haenszel random-effects method, pooling studies with similar interventions and similar comparators to calculate risk ratios (RR) and their corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI). We conducted analyses including all randomised (with dropouts counted as still smoking) and complete cases only.

MAIN RESULTS

This review includes 26 studies (33,849 participants). Overall, we judged 13 studies to be at low risk of bias, three at high risk, and the remainder at unclear risk. Settings and recruitment procedures varied across studies, but most studies were conducted in high-income countries. There was moderate-certainty evidence, limited by inconsistency, that automated text messaging interventions were more effective than minimal smoking cessation support (RR 1.54, 95% CI 1.19 to 2.00; I² = 71%; 13 studies, 14,133 participants). There was also moderate-certainty evidence, limited by imprecision, that text messaging added to other smoking cessation interventions was more effective than the other smoking cessation interventions alone (RR 1.59, 95% CI 1.09 to 2.33; I² = 0%, 4 studies, 997 participants). Two studies comparing text messaging with other smoking cessation interventions, and three studies comparing high- and low-intensity messaging, did not show significant differences between groups (RR 0.92 95% CI 0.61 to 1.40; I² = 27%; 2 studies, 2238 participants; and RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.95 to 1.06; I² = 0%, 3 studies, 12,985 participants, respectively) but confidence intervals were wide in the former comparison. Five studies compared a smoking cessation smartphone app with lower-intensity smoking cessation support (either a lower-intensity app or non-app minimal support). We pooled the evidence and deemed it to be of very low certainty due to inconsistency and serious imprecision. It provided no evidence that smartphone apps improved the likelihood of smoking cessation (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.66 to 1.52; I² = 59%; 5 studies, 3079 participants). Other smartphone apps tested differed from the apps included in the analysis, as two used contingency management and one combined text messaging with an app, and so we did not pool them. Using complete case data as opposed to using data from all participants randomised did not substantially alter the findings.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS

There is moderate-certainty evidence that automated text message-based smoking cessation interventions result in greater quit rates than minimal smoking cessation support. There is moderate-certainty evidence of the benefit of text messaging interventions in addition to other smoking cessation support in comparison with that smoking cessation support alone. The evidence comparing smartphone apps with less intensive support was of very low certainty, and more randomised controlled trials are needed to test these interventions.

Characteristics associated with perceived interrelations of pain and smoking among people living with HIV

Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWH) have very high prevalences of both cigaret smoking and pain, yet little is known about the relationship between smoking and pain for PLWH. The current study examines the perceived interrelations between pain and smoking and participant characteristics (i.e., demographics, heavier versus lighter smoking, current pain severity, depression, anxiety symptoms) in a sample of 101 current cigaret smoking adult PLWH in the Bronx, New York. Participants completed assessments of demographics, smoking behaviors, psychiatric symptoms, and pain severity. Interrelations of pain and smoking were measured using the 9-item Pain and Smoking Inventory (PSI) total score and three domain scores (pain as a motivator for smoking, smoking to cope with pain, and pain as a barrier for smoking cessation). Significant associations were found between greater current pain severity and greater endorsement of overall perceived interrelations between pain and smoking, pain as a motivator for smoking, and smoking to cope with pain. Greater anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with greater endorsement of overall perceived interrelations between pain and smoking, pain as a motivator for smoking, and smoking to cope with pain. Understanding the perceived relations between smoking and pain, as well as associated factors such as anxiety and pain severity, may help to guide interventions for PLWH who smoke in order to reduce the high prevalence of smoking and significant smoking-related health consequences.

Use of Smoking Cessation Aids in a Convenience Sample of PLHIV in a Canadian Tertiary Care Clinic

Background:

Tobacco smoking is among the most significant predictors of cardiovascular disease and lung cancer in People Living with HIV (PLHIV). Smoking rates in this population are high, necessitating more effective smoking cessation strategies. We conducted a descriptive analysis of tobacco-related clinical and sociodemographic characteristics of smokers at a tertiary care HIV clinic in Montreal and an exploratory analysis of smoking cessation methods in order to identify potential areas of improvement in the clinic’s approach to smoking cessation.

Methods:

A convenience sample of patients completed a 10-minute questionnaire on tobacco-related behaviours and outcomes. Use of smoking cessation methods was compared using McNemar’s exact test with a Bonferroni correction for multiple testing (p<0.01 considered significant).

Results:

Seventy-two PLHIV participated. Two-thirds of our total participants were interested in quitting within six months, but the use of effective cessation strategies was low, particularly for counseling and oral therapy. Overall, oral therapy (e.g. varenicline) (16.7%) and counseling for cessation (5.6%) were used less than nicotine patches (50.0%) or ‘other’ methods (50.0%), which included abstinence and nicotine gum (p<0.001).

Conclusion:

Despite a small and potentially unrepresentative sample of HIV positive tobacco smokers at our clinic, this study could help guide further research aiming to determine and address barriers to smoking cessation and access to effective smoking cessation aids in PLHIV. Future studies might consider factors that affect motivation to quit, such as co-morbid mental health and substance use disorders, or the attitudes of HIV healthcare providers.

Opioid misuse and perceived smoking-pain relationships among HIV+ individuals with pain: Exploring negative affect responses to pain

Persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) report high rates of clinically significant pain that is associated with several negative outcomes, including higher CD4 T-cell count, poor medication adherence, and substance use and misuse. Importantly, PLWHA also report elevated rates of both opioid and tobacco use, and these elevated rates have often been associated with increased pain experience. Although research suggests that negative affective responses to pain may be uniquely associated with substance misuse among individuals in the general population, little work has examined these relations among PLWHA. The current study examined negative emotions in response to pain as a predictor of current opioid misuse, future opioid misuse, and perceived smoking-pain relationships among 66 (M_age = 51.26, SD = 8.00, 60.6% male) HIV+ adults with co-occurring pain. Results indicated that negative emotions in response to pain uniquely predicted each of the substance use outcomes, with clinically significant effect sizes that may be characterized as medium in magnitude. Overall, these findings suggest that negative affective responses to pain may play a role in prescription opioid misuse and smoking among PLWHA. These findings may inform the development of tailored interventions for PLWHA smokers who are prescribed opioid pain medications.

A Face-Aging App for Smoking Cessation in a Waiting Room Setting: Pilot Study in an HIV Outpatient Clinic

BACKGROUND

There is strong evidence for the effectiveness of addressing tobacco use in health care settings. However, few smokers receive cessation advice when visiting a hospital. Implementing smoking cessation technology in outpatient waiting rooms could be an effective strategy for change, with the potential to expose almost all patients visiting a health care provider without preluding physician action needed.

OBJECTIVE

The objective of this study was to develop an intervention for smoking cessation that would make use of the time patients spend in a waiting room by passively exposing them to a face-aging, public morphing, tablet-based app, to pilot the intervention in a waiting room of an HIV outpatient clinic, and to measure the perceptions of this intervention among smoking and nonsmoking HIV patients.

METHODS

We developed a kiosk version of our 3-dimensional face-aging app Smokerface, which shows the user how their face would look with or without cigarette smoking 1 to 15 years in the future. We placed a tablet with the app running on a table in the middle of the waiting room of our HIV outpatient clinic, connected to a large monitor attached to the opposite wall. A researcher noted all the patients who were using the waiting room. If a patient did not initiate app use within 30 seconds of waiting time, the researcher encouraged him or her to do so. Those using the app were asked to complete a questionnaire.

RESULTS

During a 19-day period, 464 patients visited the waiting room, of whom 187 (40.3%) tried the app and 179 (38.6%) completed the questionnaire. Of those who completed the questionnaire, 139 of 176 (79.0%) were men and 84 of 179 (46.9%) were smokers. Of the smokers, 55 of 81 (68%) said the intervention motivated them to quit (men: 45, 68%; women: 10, 67%); 41 (51%) said that it motivated them to discuss quitting with their doctor (men: 32, 49%; women: 9, 60%); and 72 (91%) perceived the intervention as fun (men: 57, 90%; women: 15, 94%). Of the nonsmokers, 92 (98%) said that it motivated them never to take up smoking (men: 72, 99%; women: 20, 95%). Among all patients, 102 (22.0%) watched another patient try the app without trying it themselves; thus, a total of 289 (62.3%) of the 464 patients were exposed to the intervention (average waiting time 21 minutes).

CONCLUSIONS

A face-aging app implemented in a waiting room provides a novel opportunity to motivate patients visiting a health care provider to quit smoking, to address quitting at their subsequent appointment and thereby encourage physician-delivered smoking cessation, or not to take up smoking.