Applying the Quit & Win contest model in the Vietnamese community in SantaClara County

Objective-To evaluate the effectiveness of modifying and applying a Quit & Win contest model to Vietnamese Americans. Design-Uncontrolled trial, multicomponent program, including two Quit & Win incentive contests, smoking cessation classes, videotape broadcasts, and n ewspaper articles. Subjects and setting-Vietnamese smokers living in Santa Clara County, Calif ornia. Main outcome measures-Contest participation rates and quit rates at six mon th follow up; saliva cotinine validation of quitting. Results-There were 57 eligible contest entrants to the 1995 contest, approx imately 0.9% of the potential pool of smokers, and 32 entrants to the 1996 contest, approximately 0.5% of the potential pool. Overall, 48 of 49 (98%) individuals who said that they had quit smoking had validation of that fact by saliva cotinine testing. At six months, telephone follow up of 76 indiv iduals revealed a self reported continued abstinence rate of 84.2%. Conclusion-Modification and application of the Quit & Win contest model for Vietnamese resulted not only in reasonable participation by Vietnamese mal e smokers, but also good success in initial quitting and an unexpectedly hi gh abstinence rate at six month follow up.