Using Group Commitment for Smoking Cessation
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01311115 |
Recruitment Status
: Unknown
Verified February 2011 by University of California, Berkeley.
Recruitment status was: Recruiting
First Posted
: March 9, 2011
Last Update Posted
: March 9, 2011
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This study proposes a novel behavioral intervention to help smokers in Thailand to achieve their goals of quitting. Smoking treatment programs are rare throughout most of Asia and unlikely to meet the impending demand for quitting that tobacco control regulations is stimulating. New approaches are needed.
The present study is a randomized controlled trial to test the effectiveness of a novel, scalable approach to smoking cessation that is targeted toward rural Southeast Asian communities. Thailand is used as a test case to explore if pairs of smokers quit successfully after making financially-backed commitments and receiving cash incentives to quit. The control group receives education and counseling about quitting. In addition to education and counseling about quitting, the intervention includes two key components:
- Each participant is encouraged to deposit his "cigarette money" on a weekly basis, to be returned only if the smoker quits successfully within three months. Such commitment contracts, based on theory from behavioral economics, are designed to help a person to maintain self-control and motivation in the face of temptation.
- Each participant is paired with another study participant. If both quit, each receives a cash bonus. The joint incentives are designed to lead partners to support each other throughout the quit attempt.
Thus, group commitment contracts marshal a robust blend of elements: financial commitment, social support, peer pressure, and monetary rewards. A larger, follow-up evaluation will clarify the relative importance of each of these elements.
Condition or disease | Intervention/treatment | Phase |
---|---|---|
Smoking | Behavioral: Group commitment contract Behavioral: Smoking cessation education and counseling | Not Applicable |
Study Type : | Interventional (Clinical Trial) |
Estimated Enrollment : | 200 participants |
Allocation: | Randomized |
Intervention Model: | Parallel Assignment |
Masking: | Single (Outcomes Assessor) |
Primary Purpose: | Treatment |
Official Title: | Using Group Commitment for Smoking Cessation |
Study Start Date : | November 2010 |
Estimated Primary Completion Date : | February 2011 |
Estimated Study Completion Date : | August 2011 |
Arm | Intervention/treatment |
---|---|
Experimental: Group commitment contracts
In addition to education and counseling, the intervention includes the following components:
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Behavioral: Group commitment contract
Other Names:
Behavioral: Smoking cessation education and counseling
Participants receive educational pamphlets on reasons to quit smoking and strategies for quitting smoking. They also receive one-time, group counseling on quitting smoking from a nurse trained in smoking cessation counseling.
Other Name: Smoking cessation counseling
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Active Comparator: Education and counseling
Participants in this group receive educational pamphlets about quitting smoking and one-time, group counseling from a nurse trained in smoking cessation counseling.
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Behavioral: Smoking cessation education and counseling
Participants receive educational pamphlets on reasons to quit smoking and strategies for quitting smoking. They also receive one-time, group counseling on quitting smoking from a nurse trained in smoking cessation counseling.
Other Name: Smoking cessation counseling
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- Smoking status at 6 months [ Time Frame: 6 months after enrollment ]Smoking status, measured 6 months after enrollment, is determined using a NicCheck (TM) urine cotinine test.
- Concordance of smoking status between partners at 6 months [ Time Frame: 6 months after enrollment ]Participants in the treatment condition will be assigned a partner. The concordance of smoking status among pairs--both quit, both smoke, or one quits and one smokes--will be measured using the NicCheck (TM) urine cotinine test.
- Smoking status at 3 months [ Time Frame: 3 months after enrollment ]Smoking status, measured 3 months after enrollment, is determined using a NicCheck (TM) urine cotinine test.
- Concordance of smoking status between partners at 3 months [ Time Frame: 3 months after enrollment ]Participants in the treatment condition will be assigned a partner. The concordance of smoking status among pairs--both quit, both smoke, or one quits and one smokes--will be measured using the NicCheck (TM) urine cotinine test.

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Ages Eligible for Study: | 20 Years and older (Adult, Senior) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Inclusion Criteria:
- Current smoker of at least 10 cigarettes per week and at least 100 cigarettes over the course of a lifetime
- Residents of the study area in Nakhon Nayok province, which includes the six subdistricts of Klong Yai, Chumpon, Bueng San, Pak Phli, Khao Phoem, or Ongkharak
Exclusion Criteria:
- Pregnant
- Plans to leave the study area within the next 12 months

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT01311115
Contact: Justin S White, MA, MSPH | 617-510-9952 | jswhite@berkeley.edu | |
Contact: William Dow, PhD | wdow@berkeley.edu |
Thailand | |
Srinakharinwirot University | Recruiting |
Ongkharak, Nakhon Nayok, Thailand, 26120 | |
Contact: Justin S White, MA MSPH 617-510-9952 jswhite@berkeley.edu | |
Sub-Investigator: Justin S White, MA MSPH | |
Principal Investigator: Suthat Rungruanghiranya, MD |
Study Director: | Justin S White, MSPH MA | University of California at Berkeley | |
Principal Investigator: | William H Dow, PhD | University of California at Berkeley | |
Principal Investigator: | Suthat Rungruanghiranya, MD | Srinakharinwirot University |
Publications automatically indexed to this study by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number):
Responsible Party: | Justin White, University of California at Berkeley |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT01311115 History of Changes |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
2010-04-1269 2P30AG012839-16 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) R21HD056581 ( U.S. NIH Grant/Contract ) |
First Posted: | March 9, 2011 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | March 9, 2011 |
Last Verified: | February 2011 |