Characteristics associated with exposure to and participation in a televised smoking cessation intervention program for women with high school or less education

Objectives. This paper estimates the prevalence of exposure to and particip ation in a televised smoking cessation intervention targeting women with hi gh school or less education and describes characteristics related to exposu re and participation. Methods. A random sample of the population of female smokers with high scho ol or less education in the Chicago metropolitan area was used to estimate the prevalence of exposure to a targeted smoking cessation intervention wit h television and booklet components (n = 722). Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to examine characteristics related to exposure to each c omponent and participation, defined as simultaneous use of both components, in a sample of population and registrants combined (n = 1,727). Results. About one of every four women in the target population either saw the television series or called for the booklet (24.5%); 17.5% saw the tele vision series, 9.4% called for the booklet, and 2.4% both saw the televisio n series and called for the booklet. Independent predictors of booklet expo sure were black, older age, annual income $40,000 or less, heavier smoking, and higher stage of readiness to quit. Adjusting for booklet exposure, ind ependent predictors of television exposure were older age and nonblack. Ind ependent predictors of participation were black, older age, and higher stag e of readiness to quit. Conclusions. The intervention reached a substantial portion of low-educated female smokers. Women who were older, black, or at higher stages of readin ess to quit were most likely to be exposed and to participate. Heavier smok ers or lower income women were most likely to be exposed but not necessaril y to participate, (C) 1999 American Health Foundation and Academic Press.