Janice Y. Tsoh

Evaluating a population-based recruitment approach and a stage-based expert system intervention for smoking cessation

A stage-matched expert system intervention was evaluated on 4144 smokers in a two-arm randomized control trial with four follow-ups over 24 months. Smokers were recruited by random digit-dial calls, and 80.0% of the eligible smokers were enrolled. Individualized and interactive expert system computer reports were sent at 0, 3, and 6 months. The reports provided feedback on 15 variables relevant for progressing through the stages. The primary outcomes were point prevalence and prolonged abstinence rates. At 24 months, the expert system resulted in 25.6% point prevalence and 12% prolonged abstinence, which were 30% and 56% greater than the control condition. Abstinence rates at each 6-month follow-up were significantly greater in the Expert System (ES) condition than in the comparison condition with the absolute difference increasing at each follow-up. A proactive home-based stage-matched expert system smoking cessation program can produce both high participation rates and relatively high abstinence rates.

Treatment for cigarette smoking among depressed mental health outpatients : A randomized clinical trial

OBJECTIVES Using a brief contact control, we tested the efficacy of a staged care intervention to reduce cigarette smoking among psychiatric patients in outpatient treatment for depression. METHODS We conducted a randomized clinical trial that included assessments at baseline and at months 3, 6, 12, and 18. Three hundred twenty-two patients in mental health outpatient treatment who were diagnosed with depression and smoked > or =1 cigarette per day participated. The desire to quit smoking was not a prerequisite for participation. Staged care intervention participants received computerized motivational feedback at baseline and at 3, 6, and 12 months and were offered a 6-session psychological counseling and pharmacological cessation treatment program. Brief contact control participants received a self-help guide and referral list of local smoking-treatment providers. RESULTS As we hypothesized, abstinence rates among staged care intervention participants exceeded those of brief contact control participants at months 12 and 18. Significant differences favoring staged care intervention also were found in occurrence of a quit attempt and stringency of abstinence goal. CONCLUSION The data suggest that individuals in psychiatric treatment for depression can be aided in quitting smoking through use of staged care interventions and that smoking cessation interventions used in the general population can be implemented in psychiatric outpatient settings.

Computer-based smoking cessation interventions in adolescents: description, feasibility, and six-month follow-up findings.

The impact of adolescent smoking cessation clinics has been disappointing due to low participation rates, high attrition, and low quit rates. This paper describes two computerized self-help adolescent smoking cessation intervention programs: 1) a program utilizing the expert system which is based on the transtheoretical model of change and 2) a popular action-oriented smoking cessation clinic program for teens which was modified for computer presentation. High participation rates in the program among 132 smokers demonstrate the high feasibility and acceptability of the programs. Quit rates of up to 20% were observed during the intervention, and an additional 30% made unsuccessful quit attempt(s). The 6-month follow-up findings indicated that adolescents were poorly prepared to maintain abstinence.

Treating Tobacco Dependence in Clinically Depressed Smokers: Effect of Smoking Cessation on Mental Health Functioning

We analyzed data from a randomized trial of 322 actively depressed smokers and examined the effect of smoking cessation on their mental health functioning. Only 1 of 10 measures at 4 follow-up time points was significant: participants who successfully stopped smoking reported less alcohol use than did participants who continued smoking. Depressive symptoms declined significantly over time for participants who stopped smoking and those who continued smoking; there were no group differences. Individuals in treatment for clinical depression can be helped to stop smoking without adversely affecting their mental health functioning.

Changes in smoking status among substance abusers: baseline characteristics and abstinence from alcohol and drugs at 12-month follow-up

The impact of change in smoking status on 12-month substance abuse (SA) treatment outcomes was examined among an HMO population seeking SA treatment. Of the 749 participants who entered the study at baseline, 649 (86.9%) were retained at the 12-month follow-up. At treatment entry, 395 participants were smokers and 254 were nonsmokers. At 12-month follow-up, 13% of the 395 baseline smokers reported quitting smoking and 12% of the 254 baseline nonsmokers reported starting/relapsing to smoking. Those who quit smoking were less likely to be diagnosed as alcohol dependent compared to those that remained smokers. Those who started/resumed smoking were more likely to be diagnosed as both alcohol and drug dependent at treatment entry compared to all other groups. Total days abstinent from alcohol and illicit drugs was greatest for individuals who quit smoking (adjusted M=310.6) or who were nonsmokers (adjusted M=294.7) and lowest for those who started/resumed smoking (adjusted M=246.6) or remained smokers (adjusted M=258.2), even after controlling for demographic (i.e. age, income), psychosocial (ASI psychiatric severity), and other treatment characteristics (length of treatment stay, prescribed bupropion) that were associated with days abstinent at 12 months. Self-initiated smoking cessation does not appear to be detrimental to SA treatment outcomes, and may be beneficial. Starting/resuming smoking after entering SA treatment may be a clinical marker for individuals at greater risk of relapse. Future studies may want to measure the smoking status of all participants at all time points in order to include this higher-risk group of substance using smokers.

Stopping smoking during first year of substance use treatment predicted 9-year alcohol and drug treatment outcomes

This study examined the association between stopping smoking at 1 year after substance use treatment intake and long-term substance use outcomes. Nine years of prospective data from 1185 adults (39% female) in substance use treatment at a private health care setting were analyzed by multivariate logistic generalized estimating equation models. At 1 year, 14.1% of 716 participants who smoked cigarettes at intake reported stopping smoking, and 10.7% of the 469 non-smokers at intake reported smoking. After adjusting for sociodemographics, substance use severity and diagnosis at intake, length of stay in treatment, and substance use status at 1 year, those who stopped smoking at 1 year were more likely to be past-year abstinent from drugs, or in past-year remission of drugs and alcohol combined, at follow-ups than those who continued to smoke (OR=2.4, 95% CI: 1.2-4.7 and OR=1.6, 95% CI: 1.1-2.4, respectively). Stopping smoking at 1 year also predicted past-year alcohol abstinence through 9 years after intake among those with drug-only dependence (OR=2.4, 95% CI: 1.2-4.5). We found no association between past-year alcohol abstinence and change in smoking status at 1 year for those with alcohol dependence or other substance use diagnoses when controlling for alcohol use status at 1 year. Stopping smoking during the first year after substance use treatment intake predicted better long-term substance use outcomes through 9 years after intake. Findings support promoting smoking cessation among smoking clients in substance use treatment.

The transtheoretical model of smoking: Comparison of pregnant and nonpregnant smokers

Pregnant smokers represent a special population of women smokers. Since smoking affects both the mother and the unborn child, it might be hypothesized that pregnant women should be highly motivated to quit smoking during pregnancy. Results from both naturalistic studies and intervention studies have generally shown only modest changes in smoking during pregnancy. To help design more effective interventions tailored for this special population of smokers, more information is needed on how they differ from other smokers. The current study was designed to examine patterns and differences on constructs of the Transtheoretical Model between low-income culturally diverse pregnant and nonpregnant female smokers. Groups were compared on the distribution of the stages of change. In addition, stage and group comparisons were conducted for the pros and cons of smoking, situational temptations to smoke, and the processes of change. The sample included 103 economically disadvantaged, culturally diverse pregnant women and a matched group of 103 nonpregnant women smokers. Pregnant smokers as a group were similar to their nonpregnant peers on their readiness for quitting. In general, the patterns observed across the stages of change were consistent with those seen in other populations of smokers. The primary difference found between the groups were on the cons of smoking, habit-related temptations to smoke, and experiential processes of change. Specifically, pregnant women perceived a less negative attitude toward their smoking, were more tempted in habit-related situations, and made less use of important experiential processes of change. The implications of these findings for designing interventions tailored for this special group of smokers are discussed.

The effects of the DRD2 polymorphism on smoking cessation and negative affect: Evidence for a pharmacogenetic effect on mood

This study evaluated the relationship between smoking cessation treatment outcome and the DRD2 polymorphism. Participants were 134 smokers who took part in a larger clinical trial evaluating the effects of an antidepressant medication (venlafaxine or placebo) plus standard care (brief counseling and nicotine replacement therapy). Venlafaxine is an antidepressant that inhibits the reuptake of serotonin and norepinephrine. A1 smokers were expected to quit significantly less often on placebo, although the abstinence rates between A1s and A2s on active drug were not expected to differ (i.e., an interaction between genotype and drug was hypothesized). In addition, antidepressant therapy was expected to have a similar genotype x treatment interaction on negative affect reduction. The results showed that smokers carrying the DRD2 A1 allele (A1/A1/A2) quit significantly less often than the homozygous A2s (OR=1.54, 95% CI=1.01-2.36). No interaction with treatment was observed. A significant pharmacogenetic effect of the drug on negative mood while quitting also was noted. Smokers absent the A1 allele (A2/A2) responded to the drug with a substantial reduction in negative affect, whereas those with the A1 allele showed no significant reduction in negative mood, F(1, 130)=5.95, p=.01. These results are contrary to expectations and suggest that although A1s may have more difficulty quitting, adding venlafaxine does not improve abstinence or mood. However, the results for the A2s provide evidence for a genotype-specific response to a pharmacological intervention, which could have implications for the development of future treatments.

Using appropriate body mass index cut points for overweight and obesity among Asian Americans

OBJECTIVE Asian Americans have low prevalence of overweight/obesity based on standard BMI cut points yet have higher rates of diabetes. We examined the prevalence of overweight/obesity, using lower BMI cut points recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) for Asians, and diabetes in Asian American subgroups in California. METHOD Secondary analysis of the 2009 adult California Health Interview Survey (n=45,946) of non-Hispanic Whites (NHW), African Americans, Hispanics and Asians (Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, South Asian and Japanese). WHO Asian BMI cut points (overweight=23-27.5kg/m(2); obese≥27.5kg/m(2)) were used for Asian subgroups. Standard BMI cut points (overweight=25-29.9kg/m(2); obese≥30kg/m(2)) were applied for other groups. RESULTS Among Asian subgroups, overweight/obesity was highest among Filipinos (78.6%), which was higher than NHWs (p<0.001) but similar to African Americans and Hispanics. Compared to NHW, diabetes prevalence was higher for Vietnamese, Koreans, Filipinos and South Asians with BMI=23-24.9kg/m(2) and Koreans, Filipinos and Japanese with BMI=27.5-29.9kg/m(2), the ranges WHO recommends as overweight or obese for Asians but not for other groups. CONCLUSIONS Filipinos should be a priority population for overweight/obesity screening. Filipinos, Vietnamese, Korean, South Asians and Japanese have higher diabetes prevalence at lower BMI cut points. WHO Asian BMI cut points may have clinical utility to identify at-risk Asian Americans.

Breast Cancer Screening Among Vietnamese Americans. A Randomized Controlled Trial of Lay Health Worker Outreach

BACKGROUND Vietnamese-American women underutilize breast cancer screening. DESIGN An RCT was conducted comparing the effect of lay health workers (LHWs) and media education (ME) to ME alone on breast cancer screening among these women. SETTING/PARTICIPANTS Conducted in California from 2004 to 2007, the study included 1100 Vietnamese-American women aged > or = 40 years who were recruited through LHW social networks. Data were analyzed from 2007 to 2009. INTERVENTION Both groups received targeted ME. The intervention group received two LHW educational sessions and two telephone calls. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Change in self-reported receipt of mammography ever, mammography within 2 years, clinical breast examination (CBE) ever, or CBE within 2 years. RESULTS The LHW+ME group increased receipt of mammography ever and mammography in the past 2 years (84.1% to 91.6% and 64.7% to 82.1%, p<0.001) while the ME group did not. Both ME (73.1% to 79.0%, p<0.001) and LHW+ME (68.1% to 85.5%, p<0.001) groups increased receipt of CBE ever, but the LHW+ME group had a significantly greater increase. The results were similar for CBE within 2 years. In multivariate analyses, LHW+ME was significantly more effective than ME for all four outcomes, with ORs of 3.62 (95% CI=1.35, 9.76) for mammography ever; 3.14 (95% CI=1.98, 5.01) for mammography within 2 years; 2.94 (95% CI=1.63, 5.30) for CBE ever; and 3.04 (95% CI=2.11, 4.37) for CBE within 2 years. CONCLUSIONS Lay health workers increased breast cancer screening among Vietnamese-American women.Future research should focus on how LHWs work and whether LHW outreach can be disseminated to other ethnic groups [corrected].