Trial Information

Smokers' Quitline for Asian Language Speakers

Asian Americans are among the least studied groups in smoking research, which has created a
knowledge gap in understanding their behavior and in developing methods to help them quit.
No efficacy data have been reported for telephone counseling of smokers who prefer to use
Asian languages, although telephone intervention holds promise for these groups because of
its convenience and its potential to reach large numbers of smokers. In this two-arm design
subjects are stratified by language (Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese) and randomized to
telephone counseling (plus materials) or self-help materials only, which serves as the
control. The study is significant in several ways. First, it provides timely information
on a cessation approach for a traditionally under-served population (Asian language
speakers). Second, effective telephone counseling can be widely applied because of the
proliferation of quitlines with centralized services in recent years. Third, by targeting
Asian language speakers this study addresses the issue of ethnic disparities, which has been
identified by many (including the NCI Bypass Budget) as a research priority.