title: Predictors of middle school students' interest in participating in an incentive-based tobacco prevention and cessation program in connecticut.
abstract: Behavioral incentives have been used to encourage smoking cessation in older adolescents, but the acceptability of incentives to promote a smoke-free lifestyle in younger adolescents is unknown. To inform the development of novel, effective, school-based interventions for youth, we assessed middle school students' interest in participating in an incentive-based tobacco abstinence program. We surveyed 988 students (grades 6-8) attending three Connecticut middle schools to determine whether interest in program participation varied as a function of (1) intrapersonal factors (i.e., demographic characteristics (sex, age, race), smoking history, and trait impulsivity) and/or (2) aspects of program design (i.e., prize type, value, and reward frequency). Primary analyses were conducted using multiple regression. A majority of students (61.8%) reported interest in program participation. Interest did not vary by gender, smoking risk status, or offering cash prizes. However, younger students, non-Caucasian students, behaviorally impulsive students, and students with higher levels of self-regulation were more likely to report interest. Inexpensive awards (e.g., video games) offered monthly motivated program interest. In sum, middle school students reported high levels of interest in an incentive-based program to encourage a tobacco-free lifestyle. These formative data can inform the design of effective, incentive-based smoking cessation and prevention programs in middle schools.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, CMHC, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
authors.forename: Meghan E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Morean
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, 330 Cedar Street LMP 4086, New Haven, CT 06520, USA.
authors.forename: Deepa R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Camenga
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, CMHC, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, CMHC, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
authors.forename: Dana A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Cavallo
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Texas State University, 601 University Drive, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
authors.forename: Ty S
authors.initials: TS
authors.lastname: Schepis
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, Yale School of Medicine, CMHC, 34 Park Street, New Haven, CT 06519, USA.
authors.forename: Suchitra
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-3272-9782
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Krishnan-Sarin