THE IMPACT OF INCLUDING INCENTIVES AND COMPETITION IN A WORKPLACE SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM ON QUIT RATES

Purpose. To determine the effectiveness of a multicomponent smoking ce ssation program supplemented by incentives and team competition. Desig n. A quasi-experimental design was employed to compare the effectivene ss of three different smoking cessation programs, each assigned to sep arate worksites. Setting. The study was conducted from 1990 to 1991 at three aerospace industry worksites in California. Subjects. All emplo yees who were current, regular tobacco users were eligible to particip ate in the program offered at their site. Intervention. The multicompo nent program included a self-help package, telephone counseling, and o ther elements. The incentive-competition, program included the multico mponent program plus cash incentives and team competition for the firs t 5 months of the program. The traditional program offered a standard smoking cessation program. Measures. Self-reported questionnaires and carbon monoxide tests of tobacco use or abstinence were used over a 12 month period. Results. The incentive-competition program had an absti nence rate of 41 % at 6 months (n = 68), which was significantly bette r than the multicomponent program (23%, n = 81) or the traditional pro gram (8%, n = 36). At 12 months, the quit rates for the incentive and multicomponent programs were statistically indistinguishable (37% vs. 30%), but remained higher than the traditional program (11%). Chi-squa re tests, t-tests, and logistic regression were used to compare smokin g abstinence across the three programs. Conclusions. Offering a multic omponent program with telephone counseling may be just as effective fo r long-term smoking cessation as such a program plus incentives and co mpetition, and more effective than a traditional program.