Mindfulness-based ecological momentary intervention for smoking cessation among cancer survivors
Continued tobacco use among cancer survivors is linked to an increased risk of lowered effectiveness of cancer treatment, greater cancer-related mortality, developing a secondary primary cancer, worse quality of life, and increased cancer treatment costs ($3.4 billion/year). Despite high quit rates at cancer diagnosis, more than half of survivors who quit resume smoking shortly thereafter. Mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) hold great promise in enhancing smoking abstinence among cancer survivors given its emphasis on purposefully paying attention to immediate experience, thereby reducing reactivity to smoking triggers. The current R00 proposal addresses significant gaps in the extant smoking cessation literature for cancer survivors, which include: (1) A limited understanding of the role of dynamic relations between cancer-specific (e.g., fatigue, pain, fear of cancer recurrence) and general smoking risk factors (e.g., negative affect) contributing to smoking relapse given the known chronic high stress level among cancer survivors, (2) Lack of real-time cessation interventions using portable mobile devices such as smartphones (i.e., mobile health [mHealth]), (3) Little attention given to cancer-specific cessation barriers for cancer survivors (e.g., shame, guilt) and (4) Barriers to treatment accessibility among existing MBIs due to the time-intensiveness and in-person format. To address these gaps, the objective of this proposal is to develop a mindfulness-based ecological momentary intervention (mindEMI) that delivers MBI content in real-time and in the real world where quitting smoking takes place, and, when an elevated level of cancer-specific smoking relapse risk is indicated through ecological momentary assessment (EMA). Specifically, the R00 study aims to conduct a 2-arm pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) among cancer survivors to test the feasibility and acceptability of the mindEMI for smoking cessation. Feasibility of RCT procedures in preparation for a larger subsequent study will also be examined. This proposal is highly innovative because the mindEMI will address a crucial gap in the literature by targeting cancer-specific smoking vulnerabilities and deliver an MBI in real-time when relapse risk is high for cancer survivors. This work will inform a future trial to fully test the efficacy of mindEMI and directly addresses the NCI s mission to conduct and support cancer research to promote longer and healthier lives.
- Rutgers University
Inclusion Criteria: - ≥18 years old - smoked ≥1 cigarette per day (even one or two puffs) within the past 30 days - having been diagnosed with cancer - being motivated to quit in the next 30 days - having a valid home address and functioning phone number - being able to read, write, and speak English - having a smartphone that allows installation of the app - willingness to download the app Exclusion Criteria: - being enrolled in a smoking cessation program - current use of smoking cessation medications - evidence of current psychosis - current/planning pregnancy or lactation
Please note that we have obtained the inclusion and exclusion criteria information from the National Institutes of Health’s clinical trials web site ClinicalTrials.gov. The listed criteria may not necessarily reflect recent amendments to the protocol and the current criteria.
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