Computer-tailored smoking cessation intervention in a general population setting in Germany: Outcome of a randomized controlled trial

This study reports the outcome of a randomized controlled trial testing a computer-tailored smoking cessation intervention based on the transtheoretical model in a general population setting in Germany. Participants of the smoking intervention study were recruited from an existing general population health examination survey in a university hospital. The sample consisted of 611 current and former smokers at baseline, and of 485 participants in the core group of baseline daily cigarette smokers. Follow-ups were conducted 6, 12, 18, and 24 months after baseline. The intervention was designed for both current and former smokers, involved up to three individualized feedback letters, and was created using expert-system technology. Based on 7-day point-prevalence abstinence and 6-month prolonged abstinence as the outcome measures, the study identified no significant differences between the intervention and control groups. Modeling the full longitudinal data in generalized estimation equation analyses, using different nonresponse procedures, and adjusting for covariates did not alter the results. We conclude that the computer-tailored transtheoretical model-based smoking cessation intervention, as delivered in this study and in this special setting, was ineffective.