Assessing the utility of targeted outreach to intervene with 18 to 24 year old non-treatment seeking tobacco users

Abstract

Objective: This pilot study assessed the utility of a targeted outreach approach to intervene with non-treatment seeking 18 to 24 year old tobacco users to quit smoking.

Methods: A total of 184 tobacco users were recruited from community settings and completed a structured interview assessing tobacco use patterns. Interest in quitting tobacco was measured with an analog scale (1 = none to 10 = highest). Participants (N = 145) who reported any interest (2 or greater) in quitting were provided a brief tobacco intervention.

Results: Overall 78/145 (54%) completed a 6 month follow-up of which 14 (17.9%) reported no tobacco use in the past 30 days. Also, a service utilization assessment found that 19.2% used a Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) and 19.2% enrolled in a tobacco cessation program during the past 6 months.

Conclusions: The pilot targeted outreach program is an acceptable public health technique to recruit non-treatment seeking tobacco users and help them to quit smoking and engage in cessation services.