Overcoming limitations in previous research on exercise as a smoking cessation treatment: rationale and design of the "Quit for Health" trial.
Aerobic exercise has been proposed as a stand-alone or adjunct smoking cessation treatment, but findings have been mixed. Laboratory studies have shown that individual exercise sessions lead to decreases in withdrawal symptoms and cigarette cravings, but findings are limited by lack of follow-up and artificial settings. On the other hand, smoking cessation treatment RCTs have generally failed to show positive effects of exercise on smoking cessation, but have been plagued by poor and/or unverified compliance with exercise programs. This paper describes the rationale and design for Quit for Health (QFH)--an RCT designed to determine the efficacy of aerobic exercise as an adjunct smoking cessation treatment among women. To overcome limitations of previous research, compliance with the exercise (and wellness contact control) program is incentivized and directly observed, and ecological momentary assessment is used to examine change over time in withdrawal symptoms and cigarette cravings in participants' natural environments.
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States. Electronic address: david_m_williams@brown.edu.
David M
DM
Williams
Division of Population Health Sciences and Education, St. George's, University of London, UK.
Michael
M
Ussher
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States; Centers for Behavioral and Preventive Medicine, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI, United States.
Shira
S
Dunsiger
Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.
Robert
R
Miranda
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States; ERT, inc., 1818 Market St., Suite 1000 Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA.
Chad J
CJ
Gwaltney
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States.
Peter M
PM
Monti
Department of Behavioral and Social Sciences, Brown University School of Public Health, Providence, RI, United States.
Jessica
J
Emerson
D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009538:Nicotine / Q000009:adverse effects; D018722:Nicotinic Agonists / Q000009:adverse effects; D012907:Smoking / Q000628:therapy*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D013375:Substance Withdrawal Syndrome / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices
D018722:Nicotinic Agonists; D009538:Nicotine
Aerobic exercise; Cigarette cravings; Nicotine withdrawal symptoms; Smoking cessation; Study design; Weight concerns