Quitting smoking is a challenge, but a new study offers hope. Researchers found that offering financial incentives increased smoking cessation rates for up to 12 weeks.
The study involved adults with low socioeconomic status who were willing to quit smoking. They were randomly assigned to either standard care
Compared to standard care alone, offering financial incentives significantly increased the chances of quitting smoking at 4, 8, and 12 weeks.
When researchers treated missing data as smoking relapse, the benefit of incentives disappeared at the 26-week follow-up. However...
Using a different method to analyze missing data, the study still found a significant association between incentives and quitting smoking at all follow-up points, including 26 weeks.
Regardless of how missing data was handled, participants offered incentives were more likely to achieve abstinence throughout the study period.
The study authors call for further research to improve treatment approaches, understand how incentives work, and address challenges in implementing these programs.
This study suggests that financial incentives can be a valuable tool to help people quit smoking, particularly in the short term.
While incentives are promising, the study reinforces the importance of combining them with other cessation support like counseling and medication.
