RATIONALE, DESIGN, AND BASE-LINE DATA FOR COMMIT TO QUIT - AN EXERCISE EFFICACY TRIAL FOR SMOKING CESSATION AMONG WOMEN

Background. The Commit to Quit trial was designed to address the metho dological problems of prior studies that have examined the contributio n of exercise to smoking cessation. Methods. This paper provides an ov erview of the study design and describes the sample of women who parti cipated in this trial (N = 281). Interrelationships among eating, exer cise, and smoking behavior are examined. Results. Subjects randomized into the study compared with the sample of women who completed the ini tial assessment but were not randomized were more likely to be white, to have at least a high school education, and to smoke fewer cigarette s per day. Overall, the most frequent ineligibility criteria were heal th-related issues and scheduling conflicts. On average, participants i n this study smoked more cigarettes per day than national samples of w omen smokers. Significant interrelationships include the positive asso ciation of motivational readiness for quitting smoking and enhanced le vels of dietary restraint and the positive association of motivational readiness for exercise adoption and high levels of weight concern. Co nclusions. This study represents the first adequately powered randomiz ed controlled clinical trial comparing the relative efficacy of a cogn itive-behavioral smoking cessation treatment plus vigorous exercise wi th the same treatment plus contact control. (C) 1997 Academic Press.