Smoking cessation intervention for female prisoners: addressing an urgent public health need.
OBJECTIVE
We tested the efficacy of a combined pharmacologic and behavioral smoking cessation intervention among women in a state prison in the southern United States.


METHODS
The study design was a randomized controlled trial with a 6-month waitlist control group. The intervention was a 10-week group intervention combined with nicotine replacement therapy. Two hundred and fifty participants received the intervention, and 289 were in the control group. Assessments occurred at baseline; end of treatment; 3, 6, and 12 months after treatment; and at weekly sessions for participants in the intervention group.


RESULTS
The intervention was efficacious compared with the waitlist control group. Point prevalence quit rates for the intervention group were 18% at end of treatment, 17% at 3-month follow-up, 14% at 6-month follow-up, and 12% at 12-month follow-up, quit rates that are consistent with outcomes from community smoking-cessation interventions.


CONCLUSIONS
Female prisoners are interested in smoking cessation interventions and achieved point-prevalence quit rates similar to community samples. Augmenting tobacco control policies in prison with smoking cessation interventions has the potential to address a significant public health need.
Cropsey
Karen
K
Department of Psychiatry, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Substance Abuse Center, 401 Beacon Parkway West, Birmingham, AL 35209, USA. kcropsey@beapsy1.his.uab.edu
Eldridge
Gloria
G
Weaver
Michael
M
Villalobos
Gabriela
G
Stitzer
Maxine
M
Best
Al
A
D000223:Adaptation, Psychological; D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006301:Health Services Needs and Demand; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use; D010352:Patient Dropouts / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D011329:Prisoners / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology; D015397:Program Evaluation; D011615:Psychotherapy, Group / Q000458:organization & administration; D011634:Public Health / Q000379:methods; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012648:Self Care; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D015144:Southeastern United States; D014850:Waiting Lists; D014930:Women / Q000193:education / Q000523:psychology
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine