A new tool to assess treatment fidelity and evaluation of treatment fidelity across 10 years of health behavior research.

A. Bellg, B. Borrelli, et al.

Older, medically ill smokers are concerned about weight gain after quitting smoking.

Concern about postcessation weight gain has been shown to be a barrier to quitting for healthy smokers, but no study has examined these concerns among medically ill smokers. We examined whether medically ill smokers (N=271; 54% female, mean age=57 years) receiving nurse-delivered home health care report postcessation weight concern as a barrier to quitting smoking. Higher levels of weight concern were associated with younger age, longer duration of home care service, greater motivation to quit smoking, lower self-efficacy to quit smoking, more favorable views of smoking, and lower levels of social support; collectively accounting for over 20% of the variance.

Free nicotine patches plus proactive telephone peer support to help low-income women stop smoking.

Background: This study tested the impact of free nicotine patches plus proactive telephone peer support to help low-income women stop smoking.

Methods: A total of 214 Medicaid-eligible women smokers of childbearing age were randomized to receive free nicotine patches through the mail or free nicotine patches through the mail plus the provision of proactive support by telephone from a woman ex-smoker for up to 3 months. Assessments were conducted by telephone at baseline, 10 days, and 3 and 6 months after enrollment.