Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of poor pregnancy outcomes in the U.S. and a problem for which more effective and easy-to-access treatments are much needed. This study examines whether outcomes achieved with recommended clinical practices (referral to state tobacco Quitline with follow-up and further referrals for those continuing to smoke) can be improved by also offering financial incentives delivered through a smartphone for maternal smoking abstinence.
Pregnant women residing in the U.S. who currently smoke cigarettes and are interested in quitting will be recruited nationally and randomly assigned to what is considered clinical best practices (BP) (referral to state tobacco Quitline with follow-up and further referrals for those continuing to smoke) or best practices in combination with financial incentives (BP+FI). Women assigned to the BP+FI treatment will have opportunities to earn financial incentives by abstaining from smoking during pregnancy and for 3 months after delivering their baby (total possible incentives is $750.00). Women will demonstrate that they have abstained by taking brief salivary cotinine tests using a smartphone or equivalent device. Incentives for abstaining are electronically added to a study-provided debit card. Participation and all results are strictly confidential. Participants in both treatment conditions will be financially compensated for study participation with potential earnings of $525.00. Total potential earnings for those assigned to BP is $525.00 and for those assigned to BP+FI it is $1,275 ($525 for study participation and $750 in incentives for quitting smoking).
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
137
Participants receive the 5As including a staff referral to the state tobacco quitline.
Participants receive financial incentives contingent on biochemically verified abstinence. Incentives are in the form of vouchers exchangeable for retail items and available through 12-weeks postpartum.
University of Vermont
Burlington, Vermont, United States
Antepartum smoking abstinence
The primary outcome is whether women randomly assigned to the two treatment groups differ in the percentage who abstain from smoking across an early (\< 25 weeks gestation) and late (\> 25 weeks gestation) antepartum assessments defined by the percentage of participants assigned to each condition who report no smoking in the past 7 days and submit of a salivary cotinine sample that tests negative for recent smoking.
Time frame: Antepartum period is from study entry through infant delivery which is typically about 24 weeks duration.
Postpartum smoking abstinence
Smoking abstinence at 2, 6, and 12 weeks postpartum defined as the percent of participants randomly assigned to each of the two treatment conditions who report no smoking in the past 7 days and submit of a salivary cotinine test sample that is negative for recent smoking.
Time frame: 2-weeks, 6-weeks, 12-weeks following delivery.
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