Reaching and Treating Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Cigarette Smokers

Summary

Smoking rates are significantly higher among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) populations compared to the general population. LGBT individuals may be at increased risk for experiencing psychosocial issues, e.g., negative moods, stress, alcohol/drug use, that have been associated with smoking treatment failure in other groups of smokers. Technology, such as the Internet and telephone, can be an effective method to reach a large number of smokers and may be particularly effective in reaching hidden populations. Thus, the study seeks to examine whether Internet-based counseling and/or telephone counseling can improve quit rates for LGBT smokers.

Participants (N=600) will be randomly assigned to one of four conditions: 1) a Mail-based Self Help (MSH) treatment; 2) MSH plus an Internet-based Smoking Treatment (IST); MSH plus Telephone Counseling (TC) or 4) MSH plus IST plus TC. Participants in the MSH condition will receive a self-help smoking cessation manual. In the IST condition, participants will receive the manual plus access to an Internet-based intervention that includes social support. In the TC condition, participants will receive the manual plus 6 telephone-based counseling sessions. In the fourth condition, participants will receive the manual plus access to an Internet-based intervention plus telephone counseling. Before starting treatment, participants will complete questionnaires on smoking, nicotine dependence, demographics, negative mood, and alcohol use. Participants will be contacted at 3, 6, and 12 months after enrollment to determine whether they are smoking. The data will be analyzed to compare the efficacy of the four treatments and to examine the possible influence of existing social networks and level of negative mood on treatment outcome and to examine the possible influence of residency (rural versus urban) on use of the Internet-based treatment.

Conditions

• Cigarette Smoking

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

Mail-based Self-help plus Internet-based Smoking Treatment

Participants in this condition will received a self-help manual developed specifically for LGBT smokers and access to an Internet-based smoking cessation treatment program. The website provides education and information about smoking cessation alond with development of a personalized quit plan. Participants have access to a message board where they can contact other participants.

BEHAVIORAL

Self-Help Manual plus Telephone counseling

Participants will receive a self-help manual specifically developed for LGBT smokers plus 6 telephone-based counseling sessions. The counseling sessions focus on the development of a personalized plan to quit smoking and occur over a 3 month period.

BEHAVIORAL

Self-Help Manual

Participants will receive a self-help smoking cessation manual specifically developed for LGBT smokers. The manual provides information on quitting smoking and encourages the development of a personalized quit plan through various activities and exercises.

BEHAVIORAL

Self-Help Manual plus Internet-based Intervention plus Telephone Counseling

Participants in this condition will received a self-help manual developed specifically for LGBT smokers and access to an Internet-based smoking cessation treatment program. The website provides education and information about smoking cessation alond with development of a personalized quit plan. Participants have access to a message board where they can contact other participants. Smokers will also receive 6 telephone-based counseling sessions which occur over a 3 month period

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Tobacco Related Disease Research Program

  collaborator OTHER

• University of California, San Francisco

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

FACTORIAL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2008-02-29

Primary Completion

2012-01-31

Completion

2012-01-31

Countries

• United States

Study Locations