TAILORED INTERVENTIONS TO COMMUNICATE STAGE-MATCHED INFORMATION TO SMOKERS IN DIFFERENT MOTIVATIONAL STAGES

Smokers in stages of low readiness to quit (immotives and precontempla tors) and smokers in stages of high readiness to quit (contemplators a nd preparers) were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 tailored intervention conditions offering outcome information, self-efficacy-enhancing infor mation, both sorts of information, or no information. Data on 1,540 sm okers, stratified by stage, were analyzed. The primary outcome measure was stage transition. The hypotheses with regard to stage-matched inf ormation for immotives and precontemplators were not verified. With re gard to contemplators and preparers, the following was found: Compared with the control group, contemplators benefited the most from both so rts of information, whereas preparers benefited the most from self-eff icacy-enhancing information only. Comparisons between contemplators an d preparers who were assigned to the matched treatment and contemplato rs and preparers who were assigned to the mismatched treatment support ed these findings.