NCT02492633

Prospective Evaluation of a Comprehensive Smoke-Free Public Housing Policy in a Multi-State Setting

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 238 (actual)
• Sponsor: Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of an enhanced intervention vs. a standard intervention to complement a comprehensive smoke-free policy, in a multi-site, privately managed affordable housing context.

Detailed description

Beacon Communities, a private property management company, is unveiling a comprehensive smoking ban at all 52 of its properties. A multi-component, "enhanced" intervention designed to promote, strengthen, and maintain a smoke-free policy across public housing developments will be implemented prior to commencement of the smoke-free policy. The enhanced intervention will be tested against a standard intervention of educational materials and information on cessation options. This study will be open to residents at 12 Beacon Communities properties at which a Resident Service Coordinator (RSC) is located. The primary objective of this project is to evaluate the effectiveness of enhanced intervention vs. standard intervention to support a comprehensive smoke-free policy, in a multi-site, privately managed affordable housing context. A further objective is to develop a toolkit of strategies for the large-scale implementation and maintenance of a smoke-free policy in multi-unit affordable housing developments. The toolkit will be the first to be developed directly from an extensive two-stage qualitative analysis and will apply the lessons learned in this study to provide a sustainable resource for property managers seeking to implement smoke-free policies.

Conditions

• Smoking Cessation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	Control	The Standard Intervention will be offered to residents at all of Beacon Communities properties, regardless of the presence of this study. The standard intervention will be implemented as part of the smoke-free initiative roll out and will consist of: monthly articles in newsletters, re-usable shopping bag giveaways touting cessation messages, information provided via the property websites, and training of Residential Service Coordinators (RSCs) using the 8-session smoking cessation group training provided by the American Lung Association. The RSCs will offer group cessation counseling sessions for residents who would like support to quit smoking.
BEHAVIORAL	Intervention	At a subset of 6 Beacon Communities properties, residents will receive an 'enhanced intervention' in addition to the 'standard intervention' that Beacon Communities is already providing. The enhanced intervention will consist of the following: 1. A web-based smoking cessation intervention via Facebook 2. Enhanced gain-framed messaging communicated via several channels. Gain framed messages will incorporate themes of smoking cessation and policies which aim to distinguish from the vast 'library' of traditional messages which focus on loss-framing. 3. A behavioral "nudge" designed to enhance public support for the smoke free policy, through personal adoption and adherence to the policy. This will be done by promoting a publicly viewable "pledge" program.

Timeline

• Start date: 2015-06-01
• Primary completion: 2017-10-01
• Completion: 2017-11-01
• First posted: 2015-07-08
• Last updated: 2017-12-07