Grant Number:	5R01CA069425-03 Interpret this number
Primary Investigator:	Prokhorov, Alexander
Organization:	University Of Texas Md Anderson Can Ctr
Project Title:	Motivational Intervention for High Risk Young Smokers
Fiscal Year:	2001

The proposed study will use the motivational interviewing technique and health status feedback (respiratory symptoms, lung function, heart rate, and CO in expired air) to induce and accelerate progression through the stages of readiness to quit smoking among community college students- a large and rapidly growing population at increased risk for smoking- attributable disease. This project will be guided by the Transtheoretical Model of Change and research from a social cognitive perspective. The specific aims of the study are to examine the potency of health feedback and motivation interviewing (HF&MI) in (1) inducing higher cessation rates and (2) progression through the stages of readiness to quit smoking. The proposed study will also provide an exploratory analysis of the impact of smoking cessation and continual smoking on the pulmonary function of community college students, and the role that nicotine dependence plays in smoking among this high-risk young adult population. This study employs a group-randomized, controlled design with repeated measures. We will conduct a survey of approximately 1,260 students attending the 14 community college campuses in the greater Houston area for normative values on respiratory symptoms and other variables of interest for non-smokers. Then, 38 daily smokers from each campus (total N=532) AGED 18-30 years will be recruited. The 14 campuses will be randomized into either HF&MI group of Standard Care (SC) group. The HF&MI treatment will consist of four contacts (baseline, 2-month, and 4-month assessments and counseling sessions, and 10-month final assessment). The SC group will receive a self-help manual at baseline with follow-up assessments at 2,4, and 10 months. Smoking cessation will be the primary outcome from this project; however, progression through the stages of readiness to quit smoking will be measured as a secondary outcome. The study targets several important priorities from smoking-attributable disease prevention, including reduction of tobacco use among young adult subjects and development and evaluation of motivational strategies for highly "resistant" smokers. The proposed study will contribute significantly to our understanding of behavior changes among an underserved group of young adult smokers and smoking related cancer risk reduction among these individuals.