Lack of Monthly Variation in Ability to Contact Low-Income Smokers

Lack of Monthly Variation in Ability to Contact Low-Income Smokers Audience: Investigators or public health personnel studying low-income populations. Key Points: We present partial results from an ongoing randomized trial of a cessation intervention that address the ease of telephone contact of adult smokers with Medicaid or no insurance. Our hypothesis is that subjects will be easier to contact during the first and last weeks of each month, when public assistance support arrives and they are best able to pay for cellphone service. We reviewed data from 263 subjects age 21 and older enrolled from October 2010-October 2011 in a clinical trial of smoking cessation. Subjects were contacted by phone 1, 3, and 12 months after discharge. Data are presented for one-month follow-up. Each subject received multiple calls over a one-week period. We divided each month into four time blocks: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, and Week 4 (days 22-31). Data were analyzed with generalized estimating equations. In total, 526 phone calls were made to reach 263 subjects. Of these calls, 237 (45.1%) resulted in subject contact. Using Week 4 as reference, the odds of a successful contact at Weeks 1, 2, and 3 were, respectively, 1.91, 1.58, and 1.26 (all P>0.18). Educational Experience: We will use a poster with in-person explanation to present the results of our work. Benefits: The results suggest that time of month does not affect the probability of contacting low-income adult smokers in a clinical trial. This has implications for the follow-up methods used in these types of studies.