Efficacy and Cost-Effectiveness of a Minimal Intervention to Prevent Smoking Relapse: Dismantling the Effects of Amount of Content Versus Contact.

Abstract

Relapse prevention remains a major challenge to smoking cessation efforts. T. H. Brandon, B. N. Collins, L. M. Juliano, and A. B. Lazev (2000) found that a series of 8 empirically based relapse-prevention booklets mailed to ex-smokers over 1 year significantly reduced relapse. This study dismantled 2 components of that intervention: the amount of content (number of booklets) and the frequency of contact. Content and contact were crossed in a 2 X 2 factorial design. The criteria of at least 1 week of abstinence at baseline was met by 431 participants, 75%-85% of whom returned 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-up questionnaires. Eight booklets produced consistently higher point-prevalence abstinence rates than did a single booklet, but frequency of contact did not affect outcome. Moreover, the high-content interventions were highly cost-effective.

Relapse prevention in UK Stop Smoking Services: current practice, systematic reviews of effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analysis.

“…There were 14 studies in this category 41,[76][77][78][79][80][81][82][83][84][85][86][87][88] and Table 5 summarises these.…”

“…Two studies involved military recruits 41,82 and eight studies community volunteers, [76][77][78][79]84,85,87,88 two trials were conducted in hospital in-patients 80,81 and two were conducted in the workplace; 83,86 two studies were conducted in women only. 41,79 We have divided studies in this section according to three types of participant: unaided abstinent smokers (five studies); [76][77][78]80,81 aided abstinent smokers (seven studies in which participants had achieved abstinence with support from a formal smoking cessation programme); 79,[83][84][85][86][87][88] and individuals undergoing enforced abstinence (two studies).…”

“…Self-help booklets and letters Three trials assessed the effectiveness of repeated mailings of relapse prevention-orientated booklets and letters: [76][77][78] one investigated the impact of booklets' content and mailing frequency in a 2 × 2 factorial design; 78 a second compared mailing of booklets with a 'non-mailing' control group; 77 and a third compared computer-generated (tailored) letters and standard self-help materials. 76 In the former two studies above, participants had achieved at least 1 weeks' abstinence prior to enrolment and in the latter study participants required at least 24 hours' abstinence to participate.…”

“…41,79 We have divided studies in this section according to three types of participant: unaided abstinent smokers (five studies); [76][77][78]80,81 aided abstinent smokers (seven studies in which participants had achieved abstinence with support from a formal smoking cessation programme); 79,[83][84][85][86][87][88] and individuals undergoing enforced abstinence (two studies). 41,82 The length of abstinence prior to randomisation in trials of unaided abstinent smokers ranged from 1 week to 1 month.…”

“…31,[34][35][36][37][38][39]63,67,69,72,[78][79][80]84,[86][87][88][89] urinary or saliva cotinine (six trials), 65,68,70,71,75,81 or saliva thiocyanate (one trial) 40 and nine trials 41,64,66,73,74,76,77,82,85 presented self-reported abstinence only. All studies used a parallel group design except one which was cluster randomised; 41 however, any dependency in the data due to clustering was found to be negligible and, therefore, this study was analysed with the others.…”