Grant Number:	1R03CA078183-01 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Martinson, Brian
Organization:	University Of Minnesota Twin Cities
Project Title:	Incentives to Recruit Teens for Smoking Cessation
Fiscal Year:	1998

DESCRIPTION (Applicant's Description) Despite an apparently high level of interest among adolescents in not smoking--two thirds or more of adolescent smokers would like to quit, more than half have attempted to quit and nearly three quarters report difficulty quitting cigarettes--effective smoking cessation strategies among adolescents have not been identified. Moreover, little is known about effective strategies to recruit adolescent smokers to cessation programs. Clearly, the success of any adolescent smoking cessation program is a function of both of these factors. One approach to enhancing recruitment of smokers, which has not been applied in the adolescent population, is the use of direct incentives. We propose to conduct a randomized controlled trial to assess the effectiveness of direct incentives to recruit adolescents to an innovative smoking prevention/cessation program. Using the membership listing from a large health maintenance organization in Minnesota, we will randomly assign 4000 adolescents to one of four recruitment conditions: 1) a token, prepaid cash incentive, enclosed with the survey, 2) a somewhat larger cash incentive, contingent on return of a completed survey, 3) entry into a drawing for a large cash prize upon return of a completed survey, or 4) no incentive. We will assess: 1) whether the use of incentives will significantly improve the overall response rate, 2) whether adolescent smokers will respond in greater proportion depending upon the type of incentive they receive, and 3) whether the type of incentive received affects the willingness of smokers to be contacted by a health professional as part of the cessation intervention. We will also determine which strategy , if any, is the most cost-effective. We anticipate that learning more about what is needed to encourage adolescent smokers to participate in such programs could eventually result in higher quit rates if more adolescent smokers could be recruited and exposed to cessation interventions.




Effectiveness of monetary incentives for recruiting adolescents to an intervention trial to reduce smoking.
Authors: Martinson B.C. , Lazovich D. , Lando H.A. , Perry C.L. , McGovern P.G. , Boyle R.G. .
Source: Preventive medicine, 2000 Dec; 31(6), p. 706-13.
PMID: 11133338
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