Pennsylvania Adolescent Smoking Study (PASStudy)

The PASStudy is a Randomized Controlled Trial in which adolescents who smoke cigarettes will be randomized to receive either Motivational Interviewing (MI) or Structured Brief Advice (SBA). MI is an empirically supported, client-centered, directive method for matching counseling to an individual's readiness to change. Based on the principles of motivational psychology, client-centered therapy, and the Transtheoretical Model, MI represents a general and practical approach for changing behaviors by enhancing and facilitating an individual's own internally motivated change process. SBA includes the administration of scripted, brief cessation counseling that follows standard health care smoking cessation guidelines. The counseling covers the 5As and 5Rs. The 5As are: Ask about smoking or tobacco use, Advise all smokers to stop smoking, Assess willingness to quit, Assist with cessation, and Arrange for follow-up). The 5 R's are used by clinicians to help motivate participants who are not yet ready to change to quit smoking; they are Relevance - emphasize the benefits of quitting, Risks - inform the participant of the risks of continuing in smoking, Rewards - emphasize the benefits of quitting, Road Blocks - identify barriers to cessation, and, finally, Repetition or repeating the other four R's at every encounter. Participants in both groups will receive 5 counseling sessions over 8 weeks with the respective intervention. Participants randomized to the MI condition will receive five 45-60 minute MI sessions over the course of 8 weeks; 3 sessions occur in the office and the last 2 can be either by telephone or in the office. Participants randomized to the SBA condition will receive five 15-30 minute didactic SBA sessions over the course of 8 weeks; 3 sessions occur in the office and the last 2 can be either by telephone or in the office. Research staff will offer participants in both groups smoking reduction and cessation materials including websites, printed materials, hotlines, referrals to smoking cessation counseling programs. Participants will complete follow-up assessments at 8, 12 and 24 weeks post baseline. Self-reported smoking cessation, recorded on timeline followback calendars, will be biochemically verified via saliva cotinine tests at follow-up assessment visits. Prior to enrolling participants for randomization, each MI counselor will be certified for competence by completing the full, manualized treatment with up to 10 pilot participants.