title: A randomized clinical trial of a financial education intervention with nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for low socio-economic status Australian smokers: a study protocol.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Reducing smoking prevalence among smokers from low socio-economic status (SES) is a preventative health priority. Financial stress (e.g. shortage of money or inability to pay bills) may be a major barrier to quitting smoking. This study evaluates the efficacy of a financial education and support programme coupled with pharmacotherapy at improving cessation rates at 8-month follow-up among Australian low SES smokers (people receiving a government pension or allowance).
  
  
  METHODS
  A two-group parallel block randomized (ratio 1 : 1) open-label clinical trial (RCT) with allocation concealment will be conducted. Allocation will be concealed to interviewers at data collection-points.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study will be conducted primarily by telephone with baseline, follow-up interviews and telephone-based support sessions. Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) delivery will be mail-based.
  
  
  METHODS
  Daily smokers who are interested in quitting smoking and are currently in receipt of government benefits (n = 1046) will be recruited through study advertisements placed in newspapers, posters placed in government social assistance agencies and Quitline telephone-based cessation support services. After completion of a baseline computer-assisted telephone interview, participants will be allocated randomly to control or intervention group using a permuted block approach.
  Participants in both groups will receive 8 weeks of free combination NRT plus Quitline support. Participants in the intervention group will also receive four telephone-delivered financial education and support sessions.
  
  
  METHODS
  The primary outcome measure will be prolonged abstinence (at 8-month follow-up) assessed using Russell Standard criteria and biochemically verified (urine cotinine).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This is the first intervention study to evaluate the potential of co-managing financial stress as a means of enhancing smokers' capacity to quit smoking. Such an intervention may provide a scalable intervention to help low SES smokers to quit.
authors.affiliation: National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre, Medicine, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Ryan J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Courtney
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bradford
authors.forename: Kristy A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Martire
authors.forename: Billie
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bonevski
authors.forename: Ron
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Borland
authors.forename: Christopher
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Doran
authors.forename: Wayne
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hall
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farrell
authors.forename: Mohammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Siahpush
authors.forename: Rob
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sanson-Fisher
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: West
authors.forename: Richard P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: Mattick
mesh_terms: D001315:Australia; D003367:Cotinine / Q000652:urine; D005376:Financial Management; D015277:Hotlines; D006801:Humans; D011203:Poverty; D012907:Smoking / Q000628:therapy*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D012923:Social Class; D061485:Tobacco Use Cessation Devices; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D003367:Cotinine
keywords: Intervention studies; intervention studies; low income population; randomized controlled trial; smoking cessation; social class; socio-economic factors; socio-economic status