Increasing Tobacco Use Cessation: Mass Media—Cessation Contests

Tobacco cessation contests are short-duration, community-wide events that use mass media for promotion, recruitment, and motivation. The goal is to get tobacco users to commit to quit on a targeted cessation date or during a specified period. Additional incentives for participation and successful cessation may be offered and interventions may include quit events.

Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings

The Community Preventive Services Task Force finds insufficient evidence evidence to assess the effectiveness of cessation contests because of too few studies and insufficient comparison/control groups.

Task Force Finding

Results from the Systematic Reviews

One study qualified for the review of this intervention.

• The qualifying study evaluated a multicomponent smoking cessation program in New York City.
• The absolute percentage difference in self-reported cessation at the 6-month follow-up was 13.3 percentage points compared with smokers who received only general health education materials.

These findings were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice and policy related to tobacco use.

Economic Review

An economic review of this intervention was not conducted because the Task Force found insufficient evidence to determine its effectiveness.

Supporting Materials

• Research gaps
• Included studies

Publications

Hopkins DP, Briss PA, Ricard CJ. Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to reduce tobacco use and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. [PDF - 6.38MB] Am J Prev Med 2001;20(2S):16–66.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Recommendations regarding interventions to reduce tobacco use and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke. [PDF - 1.46KB] Am J Prev Med 2001;20(2S):10–5.

Hopkins DP, Husten CG, Fielding JE. Evidence reviews and recommendations on interventions to reduce tobacco use and exposure to environmental tobacco smoke: a summary of selected guidelines. [PDF - 4.10MB] Am J Prev Med 2001;20(2S):67–87.

Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Tobacco. [PDF - 3.63KB] In : Zaza S, Briss PA, Harris KW, eds. The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health? Atlanta (GA): Oxford University Press;2005:3-79.

More Community Guide publications about Tobacco Use

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Sample Citation

The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Increasing tobacco use cessation: mass media —cessation contests. www.thecommunityguide.org/tobacco/cessation/massmediacontests.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.

Review completed: May 2000