Need for cognition as a predictor and a moderator of outcome in a tailored letters smoking cessation intervention.
OBJECTIVE
To analyze whether baseline need for cognition (NFC) was a predictor or a moderator of treatment outcome in a tailored letters intervention for smoking cessation.


METHODS
A total of 1,499 daily smokers were recruited from general medical practices in Germany within a quasi-randomized trial testing the efficacies of two brief interventions for smoking cessation: (a) computer-generated tailored letters and (b) physician-delivered brief counseling versus assessment-only. For this study, we used data from 1,097 daily smokers who were assigned to the tailored letters or the assessment-only condition.


METHODS
self-reported 6-month prolonged abstinence from tobacco smoking assessed at 12-, 18-, and 24-month follow-ups, and smoking cessation self-efficacy assessed at 6- and 24-month follow-ups.


RESULTS
Baseline NFC predicted 6-month prolonged smoking abstinence (p = .01) and smoking cessation self-efficacy (p < .01). When compared to assessment only, NFC did not moderate the effect of the tailored letters intervention on smoking abstinence (p > .05) but on smoking cessation self-efficacy (p = .05). Tailored letters resulted in higher smoking cessation self-efficacy only for persons with higher NFC.


CONCLUSIONS
Higher levels of NFC are required to increase smoking cessation self-efficacy in computer-tailored interventions for smoking cessation. Considering an individual's NFC might improve the efficacy of written interventions for smoking cessation.
Haug
Severin
S
Ernst-Moritz-Arndt-University Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany. severin.haug@uni-greifswald.de
Meyer
Christian
C
Ulbricht
Sabina
S
Gross
Beatrice
B
Rumpf
Hans-Jürgen
HJ
John
Ulrich
U
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015928:Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; D015709:Correspondence as Topic; D003376:Counseling; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008960:Models, Psychological; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000379:methods*; D020377:Self Efficacy; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult