In-Person versus Virtual CEASE Smoking Cessation Interventions

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Health Disparities

Background:

• Smoking cessation interventions are vital for underserved, low-income populations.
• Effectiveness of various intervention formats (virtual, hybrid, in-person) needs clarification.
• Tailored support is essential for this demographic.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of three smoking cessation intervention formats: self-help, in-person group, and virtual/hybrid group.
• To determine the optimal intervention modality for low-income, underserved smokers.
• To assess quit rates across different intervention modalities.

Main Methods:

• Quasi-experimental design with community-based intervention.
• Randomized and blinded community selection.
• Comparison of in-person and virtual/hybrid groups against a self-help group.
• Calculation of odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for successful quit rates.

Main Results:

• The in-person group (Arm 2) demonstrated a significantly higher successful quit rate compared to the self-help group (OR = 2.67, 95% CI = 1.05, 6.79).
• The virtual/hybrid group (Arm 3) did not show a significantly higher quit rate than the self-help group (OR = 1.48, 95% CI = 0.57, 3.83).
• Participant demographics: 50.4% women, 82.8% Black Americans, 11.6% Whites, 3.4% other races.

Conclusions:

• In-person group interventions, utilizing the CEASE curriculum and peer motivation, are significantly more effective for low-income smokers.
• Virtual interventions may require curriculum adaptation to effectively serve underserved populations.
• Current virtual formats may not fully meet the needs of low-income smokers seeking cessation support.