Tobacco Use DisorderNCT00128375
Financial Incentives for Smoking Cessation
A study testing Financial incentives in people with Tobacco Use Disorder, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of financial incentives for increasing long-term smoking cessation rates among employees at General Electric worksites throughout the United States. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Tobacco Use Disorder
- What is being tested?
- Financial incentives
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- How many people
- 878 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Mar 2005to Apr 2008
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Employees of General Electric at work sites in the United States
- Current smokers who report having smoked at least 5 cigarettes per day for the prior 12 months
- Age 18 or older
Who cannot join
- Current use of other tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco, pipes, or cigars
- Planning to leave General Electric within the next 18 months
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104-6021
About this study
The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of financial incentives for increasing long-term smoking cessation rates among employees at General Electric worksites throughout the United States.
Read the detailed description
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable mortality in United States, accounting for approximately 435,000 of the 2.4 million deaths each year in the United States. Most smokers make multiple attempts to quit smoking, but only 2-3% succeed each year. Smoking cessation programs have proven effective in helping smokers quit, but only about 5% of smokers enroll in smoking cessation programs each year.
Financial incentives have been shown to increase enrollment in smoking cessation programs and short-term quit rates, but have not been well tested as a mechanism for increasing long-term quit rates. The existing evidence suggests that they could be highly effective, particularly among heavy smokers and low income smokers. In addition, financial incentives for smoking cessation will likely be more cost effective than most covered health services and at least as cost effective as other recommended smoking cessation treatments.
This study is a two-arm randomized clinical trial of financial incentives for smoking cessation among a sample of 850 male and female smokers from GE Energy worksites throughout the U.S. Smokers will be randomized to receive either usual care (information about local community-based smoking cessation resources, coverage of prescription drugs and physician visits) or usual care plus a package of financial incentives that includes $100 for completion of a community-based tobacco cessation program, $250 for short-term smoking cessation at either 3 months or 6 months after randomization, and $400 for smoking cessation 6 months post-quit date (biochemically confirmed).
- Conditions
- Tobacco Use Disorder
- Being tested
- Financial incentives
- Keywords
- Smoking Cessation, Work-site, Incentives, Cost Effectiveness, Health Behavior, Smoking
- Medical subject headings
- Tobacco Use Disorder, Smoking Cessation, Health Behavior, Smoking
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Financial incentivesBehavioural
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Biochemically verified smoking cessation rates at 6 months post-quit date
Secondary outcomes (3)
Enrollment in and completion of community-based smoking cessation programs within the first 6 months after randomization
Short-term quit rates at 3 months or 6 months post-quit date
Quit rates at 12 months post-quit date
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted9 Aug 2005 (estimated)
- Study startMar 2005
- Study completionApr 2008
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (2)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Tobacco Use DisorderStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by University of PennsylvaniaThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 878 participants
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- University of Pennsylvania
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Investigators
- Kevin G Volpp, MD, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Pennsylvania
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00128375
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 802295
- Other IDs
- 1R01DP000100-03
- Status last verified
- Dec 2007
- First submitted
- 8 Aug 2005
- Last updated
- 17 Dec 2007
- Results posted
- No
Publications
Theodoulou A, Fanshawe TR, Leavens E, Theodoulou E, Wu AD, Heath L, Stewart C, Nollen N, Ahluwalia JS, Butler AR, Hajizadeh A, Thomas J, Lindson N, Hartmann-Boyce J. Differences in the effectiveness of individual-level smoking cessation interventions by socioeconomic status. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Jan 27;1(1):CD015120. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD015120.pub2.
PubMed 39868569Volpp KG, Troxel AB, Pauly MV, Glick HA, Puig A, Asch DA, Galvin R, Zhu J, Wan F, DeGuzman J, Corbett E, Weiner J, Audrain-McGovern J. A randomized, controlled trial of financial incentives for smoking cessation. N Engl J Med. 2009 Feb 12;360(7):699-709. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa0806819.
PubMed 19213683
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 17 Dec 2007. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Financial Incentives for Smoking Cessation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT00128375
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 802295
- Conditions
- Tobacco Use Disorder
- Keywords
- Smoking Cessation, Work-site, Incentives, Cost Effectiveness, Health Behavior, Smoking
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 878 participants
- Lead sponsor
- University of PennsylvaniaUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- Study start
- Mar 2005
- Study completion
- Apr 2008
- First posted
- 9 Aug 2005 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The purpose of this study is to test the effectiveness of financial incentives for increasing long-term smoking cessation rates among employees at General Electric worksites throughout the United States.
Detailed description
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable mortality in United States, accounting for approximately 435,000 of the 2.4 million deaths each year in the United States. Most smokers make multiple attempts to quit smoking, but only 2-3% succeed each year. Smoking cessation programs have proven effective in helping smokers quit, but only about 5% of smokers enroll in smoking cessation programs each year.
Financial incentives have been shown to increase enrollment in smoking cessation programs and short-term quit rates, but have not been well tested as a mechanism for increasing long-term quit rates. The existing evidence suggests that they could be highly effective, particularly among heavy smokers and low income smokers. In addition, financial incentives for smoking cessation will likely be more cost effective than most covered health services and at least as cost effective as other recommended smoking cessation treatments.
This study is a two-arm randomized clinical trial of financial incentives for smoking cessation among a sample of 850 male and female smokers from GE Energy worksites throughout the U.S. Smokers will be randomized to receive either usual care (information about local community-based smoking cessation resources, coverage of prescription drugs and physician visits) or usual care plus a package of financial incentives that includes $100 for completion of a community-based tobacco cessation program, $250 for short-term smoking cessation at either 3 months or 6 months after randomization, and $400 for smoking cessation 6 months post-quit date (biochemically confirmed).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Employees of General Electric at work sites in the United States
- Current smokers who report having smoked at least 5 cigarettes per day for the prior 12 months
- Age 18 or older
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Current use of other tobacco products, such as chewing tobacco, pipes, or cigars
- Planning to leave General Electric within the next 18 months
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Financial incentives | Behavioural | – |
Primary outcome
Biochemically verified smoking cessation rates at 6 months post-quit date
3 secondary outcomes
Enrollment in and completion of community-based smoking cessation programs within the first 6 months after randomization
Short-term quit rates at 3 months or 6 months post-quit date
Quit rates at 12 months post-quit date
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 17 Dec 2007.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 39868569Theodoulou A, Fanshawe TR, Leavens E, Theodoulou E, Wu AD, Heath L, Stewart C, Nollen N, Ahluwalia JS, Butler AR, Hajizadeh A, Thomas J, Lindson N, Hartmann-Boyce J. Differences in the effectiveness of individual-level smoking cessation interventions by socioeconomic status. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2025 Jan 27;1(1):CD015120. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD015120.pub2.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 19213683Volpp KG, Troxel AB, Pauly MV, Glick HA, Puig A, Asch DA, Galvin R, Zhu J, Wan F, DeGuzman J, Corbett E, Weiner J, Audrain-McGovern J. A randomized, controlled trial of financial incentives for smoking cessation. N Engl J Med. 2009 Feb 12;360(7):699-709. doi: 10.1056/NEJMsa0806819.
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Kevin G Volpp, MD, PhD principal investigator
University of Pennsylvania
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Financial incentives in people with Tobacco Use Disorder, run by University of Pennsylvania at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 17 Dec 2007. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Biochemically verified smoking cessation rates at 6 months post-quit date. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT00128375, which also lists 2 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 17 Dec 2007.