Official websites use. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites. Justin S. Treatment for tobacco dependence is not available in many low-resource settings, especially in developing countries. To test the impact of a novel mix of monetary and social incentives on smoking abstinence in rural communities of Thailand.
An RCT of commitment contracts and team incentives for rural smokers to quit smoking. Smokers were not blinded to treatment status, although the assessor of the biochemical urine test was. All adult smokers living in the study area were eligible to participate; adult smokers from 42 villages in Nakhon Nayok province, Thailand participated. Fourteen smokers who lacked teammates were dropped. The primary outcome was biochemically-verified 7-day abstinence at 6 months, assessed on an intention-to-treat basis.
Secondary outcomes include biochemically-verified abstinence at 3 months, self-reported abstinence at 14 months, and the incremental cost per quitter of the intervention, nicotine gum, and varenicline in Thailand. Data were collected in β and analyzed in The trial enrolled The abstinence rate was The intervention may offer a viable, cost-effective alternative to current smoking cessation approaches in low-resource settings.
Treatment for tobacco dependence is not widely available in low-resource settings in the developed and developing world. Standard treatment optionsβnicotine replacement therapy, prescription drugs, and professional counselingβare efficacious, 1 β 3 but are not presently feasible in many areas, where trained health professionals are scarce, access to and availability of health services is limited, and treatment is relatively expensive.
This study tests a novel intervention that uses social and monetary incentives for delivering smoking cessation services to rural communities in central Thailand. This study assesses the potential of voluntary, binding financial agreements to promote smoking abstinence. Behavioral economists have recently applied these commitment contracts to health behaviors such as weight loss, exercise, and smoking cessation. Smoking abstinence at 12 months increased 3. The present study aims to strengthen commitment contracts by supplementing monetary commitment with a form of social commitment.
