Effectiveness of a nurse-managed, lay-led tobacco cessation intervention among Ohio Appalachian women

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to evaluate a nurse-managed, lay-led tobacco cessation intervention delivered to adult women in Ohio Appalachia. Methods: A randomized controlled experimental design included intervention participants (n = 147) enrolled in a nurse-managed, lay-led protocol that incorporated nicotine replacement and behavioral counseling. Control participants (n = 155) received a personalized letter from their clinic physician, who advised them to quit smoking and requested they schedule a clinic appointment to discuss cessation. Results: Self-reported and cotinine-validated quit rates were significantly higher among intervention group participants compared with control group participants at 3-and 6-month follow-up (P < 0.02). At 12 months, self-reported abstinence was 19.1% (intervention group) and 9.0% (control group), with cotinine-validated rates of 12.2% and 7.1%, respectively (P = 0.13). Prolonged abstinence rates were significantly different between groups at 3, 6, and 12 months (P < 0.02). Logistic regression analyses indicated adjusted odds of cotinine-validated quitting was associated with cigarette consumption per day (odds ratio, 0.94; 95% confidence interval, 0.89-0.99) and Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale score ¡Ý 16 (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.17-0.90). Conclusions: A lay-led approach that is managed by a nurse may serve as an effective cessation strategy among this high-risk population. Additional efforts are needed to sustain long-term abstinence, even after intensive intervention.