Construal Level as a Novel Pathway for Affect Regulation and Cancer Control

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF OREGON · Nov 2, 2020

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is studying a new approach to help adult smokers quit or reduce their smoking. Researchers want to understand how thinking about long-term goals (called "high-level construal") can help manage feelings and cravings related to smoking. The trial is aimed at adults aged 25 to 55 who smoke at least 10 cigarettes a day, have tried to quit before but were unsuccessful, and are facing financial difficulties.

To participate, individuals must meet certain criteria, like having a low income and being persistent smokers. Participants will receive support over eight weeks, including the option to use nicotine replacement therapies like patches or gum to help with cravings. Throughout the study, researchers will monitor how this new approach affects smoking habits, specifically looking at whether it helps reduce the number of cigarettes smoked each day. This study is open to all genders and backgrounds, ensuring a diverse group of participants.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Low-SES
• • 2. Persistent smokers: cigarette smokers (at least 10 cigarettes/day for at least 1 year)
• • 3. Want to quit but have tried and failed at least once
• • 4. Income-to-needs ratio (INR) is less than 2.0, meaning that their household income adjusted for household size is below 200% of the federal poverty line
• • 5. Ages 25-55
• Scan Exclusion Criteria:
• • 1. Metal implants (e.g., braces, permanent retainers, pins)
• • 2. Metal fragments, pacemakers or other electronic medical implants
• • 3. Claustrophobia
• • 4. Weight ˃ 550 lbs.
• • 5. Women who are pregnant or believe they might be pregnant
• • People in this population are likely to have some comorbid psychiatric, substance use, and/or other health disorders that might pose a challenge to retention and intervention compliance. Such comorbidities are inherent to the population of interest (persistent smokers) so they will not be exclusionary criteria; instead, we will gather information about psychiatric, substance use, and medical comorbidities on intake so that we can monitor and report any associations with attrition, compliance, and effects of the experimental conditions.
• • E-cigarette use is acceptable - it is not an exclusionary criterion - but it will be recorded and covaried as appropriate in the analyses.
• • To increase the homogeneity of the sample in terms of cessation aids, we require that all participants use pharmacological cessation aids such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT). This inclusion criterion also more realistically models how cessation happens in vivo, as medical care providers often recommend adding pharmacological assistance such as NRT to quit programs. We will provide patches or gum (e.g., Nicoderm) to participants who cannot afford. Participants who want or are able to provide their own NRT will be included as long as they agree to continue using NRT for the duration of the training period. We will monitor NRT use weekly to ensure compliance with this inclusion criterion.
• • No exclusions will be made on gender, race, or ethnicity, so the sample will reflect the demographic profile of the United States. Eligible participants will be scheduled for the Zoom pre-session.