A randomized clinical trial of the efficacy of extended smoking cessation treatment for adolescent smokers.

INTRODUCTION: Relatively few well-designed smoking cessation studies have been conducted with teen smokers. This study examined the efficacy of extended cognitive-behavioral treatment in promoting longer term smoking cessation among adolescents. METHODS: Open-label smoking cessation treatment consisted of 10 weeks of school-based, cognitive-behavioral group counseling along with 9 weeks of nicotine replacement (nicotine patch). A total of 141 adolescent smokers in continuation high schools in the San Francisco Bay Area were randomized to either 9 additional group sessions over a 14-week period (extended group) or 4 monthly smoking status calls (nonextended group). Intention-to-treat logistic regression analysis was used to assess the primary outcome of biologically confirmed (carbon monoxide < 9 ppm) point prevalence abstinence at Week 26 (6-month follow-up from baseline). RESULTS: At Week 26 follow-up, the extended treatment group had a significantly higher abstinence rate (21%) than the nonextended treatment (7%; OR = 4.24, 95% CI: 1.20-15.02). Females also were more likely to be abstinent at the follow-up than males (OR = 4.15, 95% CI: 1.17-14.71). CONCLUSIONS: The significantly higher abstinence rate at follow-up for the extended treatment group provides strong support for continued development of longer term interventions for adolescent smoking cessation.

Withdrawal symptoms over time among adolescents in a smoking cessation intervention: do symptoms vary by level of nicotine dependence?

Nicotine dependence may be expressed differently in teens than in adults. Thus, it may not be sufficient to build diagnostic and cessation treatment strategies for teens based on adult-derived clinical and research data. This is the first study to prospectively examine the development of withdrawal symptoms by level of nicotine dependence among adolescent smokers. Forty-seven adolescent smokers completed nicotine withdrawal symptoms measures during 10 weeks of cessation treatment. Nicotine dependence was assessed at baseline using the mFTQ. Change in withdrawal symptoms over time by level of nicotine dependence was examined via mixed model ANOVA. Nicotine withdrawal in daily adolescent smokers was strongly and prospectively associated with the level of nicotine dependence. Craving was rated as the most problematic symptom at the baseline assessment. The results of this study may help guide the development of future research on diagnostic and cessation treatment strategies for teens.