Smoking cessation program preferences associated with stage of quitting.

The purpose of this article is to report results from three exploratory studies which examined smoker preferences for cessation program attributes associated with stage of quitting. Study 1 was a telephone survey of 205 randomly selected smokers, in "precontemplative," "contemplative," and "ready-for-action" stages of quitting, who were queried about their preference for a wide variety of cessation program attributes. Study 2 entailed a computer-assisted telephone interview of 218 smokers in the same three stages of quitting. Interview data were used for multiattribute utility analysis of (a) preference for specific program attributes, selected partially on the basis of Study 1 results; and (b) preference for six different types of cessation programs, evaluated through computer simulations. Study 3 replicated Study 2 procedures using a smaller mall intercept sample which allowed in-person interviews and the use of display materials. Results suggested that there are limited but potentially significant differences among smokers in the three stages concerning program attribute preferences (e.g., use of self-help vs. facilitator-led programs, inclusion of relaxation techniques, quitting cold turkey, strategies for gaining social support). Nonetheless, there were no statistically significant differences among the three subgroups in level of preference for the six types of programs evaluated. Implications of these preliminary results are discussed.