# SMOKING PREVENTION AND CESSATION INTERVENTIONS

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE · 1988 · $554,272

## Abstract

Our major objective is to reduce the initiation of regular cigarette
smoking in young people through mass media and school-based supports for
maintaining a non-smoking status.  We hypothesize that a program to modify
perceptions and attitudes and convey cigarette refusal skills through a
series of television and radio messages will provide a significant
complement to a school-based prevention program.  On the basis of our
previous mass media research in smoking prevention and extensive diagnostic
and formative research, we will design a set of three distinctly different
anti-smoking media campaigns, each aimed at young people in one of three
developmental levels:  before, during, and after puberty.  These levels
correspond roughly to grades 5-6, 7-8, and 9-l0.  Message designs for each
campaign will be developed independently by media consultants on the basis
of diagnostic and formative research.  With guaranteed exposure through
paid advertising, each campaign will be scheduled to reach youngsters at
the proper developmental level at times when these target groups are using
the media.

Four matching Standard Metropolitan Statistical Areas have been identified
as study communities:  Bangor, ME; Burlington, VT; Great Falls, MT; and
Billings, MT.  School systems matched between communities will be asked to
participate in a school program currently being tested in Vermont, while
also providing cooperation in the collection of survey data.  In all of
these communities, a fifth to seventh grade cohort of 5,000 young people
will be provided with the smoking prevention program each school year
through grades eight to ten.  Great Falls and Bangor will also receive the
mass media intervention.  Annual formative and summative surveys will be
conducted.  Our data collection techniques will allow us to describe
individual patterns in changes in behavior, perceptions, and attitudes.  In
addition to self-report questionnaires, young people will provide saliva
samples, a subset of which will be analyzed for thiocyanate content.

This project will draw on our expertise in public and school health
education, communication, psychology, biostatistics, and medicine.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3176511
- **Project number:** 5R01CA038395-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT & ST AGRIC COLLEGE
- **SAM.gov UEI:** Z94KLERAG5V9
- **Principal Investigator:** ROGER H SECKER-WALKER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1988
- **Award amount:** $554,272
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1984-09-01 → 1990-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3176511

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3176511, SMOKING PREVENTION AND CESSATION INTERVENTIONS (5R01CA038395-05). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3176511. Licensed CC0.

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