Biomarker Feedback for Smoking Cessation

The smoking pattern among adults in the US is undergoing a remarkable change. A substantial proportion of smokers are now light smokers (smoke ≤ 10 cigarettes per day), yet little is known about how to help light smokers quit. The prevalence of light smoking is high (\~50%) among African Americans (AAs) who compared to other groups have high cotinine levels, are less successful quitting smoking, and experience disproportionately higher smoking-related cancers. Because light smokers often think that smoking fewer cigarettes a day is safe, a potential smoking cessation strategy is therefore to provide light smokers with feedback on biomarkers of tobacco exposure and increased cancer risk. The objective of this proposal is to develop and pilot test a biomarker risk assessment intervention to enhance smoking cessation for AA light smokers. The proposal builds on our previous work that shows that light smokers have 1) difficulty quitting smoking, 2) lower perceived health risks, but high levels of biomarkers (e.g. cotinine). This study will occur in 2 phases. Phase 1 will utilize focus groups to examine prevailing knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about biomarkers as well as preferences about how participants would like to receive biomarker feedback (BF; e.g. by mail, phone, in-person). In Phase 2, data from the focus groups will be used to develop a (BF) intervention for light smokers. The new intervention will undergo further feasibility evaluation among 60 adult light smokers. Outcomes in Phase 2 will include process measures, (e.g. perceived usefulness, acceptance, and adherence) and changes in biomarker values with smoking reduction or cessation. By the end of the proposed pilot study, we expect to have developed a replicable, feasible, and acceptable BF intervention that will be ready for efficacy testing in a large clinical trial for smoking cessation or smoking reduction. The aims of the application are to: 1) Examine the prevailing knowledge, attitudes, beliefs, and preferences about BF for smoking cessation among AA light smokers; 2) Develop a BF intervention for smoking cessation among AA light smokers; and 3) Test the feasibility of a BF intervention for smoking cessation in AA light smokers.