A prospective study of persistence in the prediction of smoking cessation outcome: results from a randomized clinical trial.
Research has had mixed success in identifying pretreatment variables which can be used to guide treatment and enhance outcome. A critical first step in the process is to identify variables that reliably predict outcome. Some recent studies, largely retrospective, have found mixed evidence on the relationship between task persistence and smoking outcome measures. In the present study, we use data from a randomized clinical trial (N=241) to prospectively investigate the ability of persistence to predict outcome. Findings from multivariate analyses did not support our hypotheses: persistence did not predict outcome. We discuss these findings in relation to previous studies by focusing on theoretical and measurement issues related to the study of persistence in smoking cessation research. We conclude by recommending directions for future research, including conceptual clarification of the relationship between persistence and theoretically related constructs and investigations of variables that may moderate relationships between these constructs and cessation outcome.
Kalman
David
D
Harvard School of Dental Medicine, 188 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA. david.kalman@va.gov
Hoskinson
Randall
R
Sambamoorthi
Usha
U
Garvey
Arthur J
AJ
D000279:Administration, Cutaneous; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000008:administration & dosage; D017063:Outcome Assessment, Health Care; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012008:Recurrence; D012650:Self Disclosure; D012907:Smoking / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists