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Randomized Controlled Trial
. 2019 Jul;28(4):414-419.
doi: 10.1136/tobaccocontrol-2018-054243. Epub 2018 Oct 25.

Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking - A randomised clinical trial

Sheila Keogan  1 , Shasha Li  1 , Luke Clancy  1
Affiliations
Randomized Controlled Trial

Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking - A randomised clinical trial

Sheila Keogan et al. Tob Control. 2019 Jul.

Abstract

Objective: To determine if Allen Carr's Easyway to Stop Smoking (AC) was superior to Quit.ie in a randomised clinical trial (RCT).

Setting: Single centre, open RCT, general population based.

Participants: 300 adult smokers, 18 years plus, minimum 5 cigarettes daily, and English speaking. AC, 151 (females 44.4%) and Quit.ie, 149 (females 45.6%), mean age 44 years. outcomes for all 300 were analysed (intention-to-treat). Recruited through advertisement from July 2015 to February 2016.

Intervention: Randomly assigned to AC (n=151) and Quit.ie (n=149), matched for age, sex and education. Block randomisation, enrolment and follow-up at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. Primary aim was to determine if AC had higher quit rates than Quit.ie service at 3 months. Secondary aims: quit rates at 1, 6 and 12 months and analysis of associated factors including weight. AC consisted of a 5-hour seminar, in a group setting. Quit.ie is an online portal for smoking cessation.

Results: AC had higher quit rates at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. AC: 38%, (n=57), 27% (n=40), 23% (n=35), 22% (n=33) vs Quit.ie: 20% (n=30), 15% (n=22), 15% (n=23), 11% (n=17), respectively (all p values <0.05). Logistic regression AC vs Quit.ie, OR 2.26 (95% CI 1.22 to 4.21) p value=0.01. Weight gain 3.8 kg in AC vs 1.8 kg in Quit.ie (p value <0.05).

Conclusions: All AC quit rates were superior to Quit.ie, outcomes were comparable with established interventions.

Trial registration number: ISRCTN12951013. Recruitment July 2015-February 2016.

Keywords: Addiction; Cessation; Health Services; Nicotine.

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Conflict of interest statement

Competing interests: LC was involved in the Cease of NRT conducted on behalf of the ERS by the Occupational and Epidemiology Assembly and with the sponsorship of Pharmacia & Upjohn, Helsingborg, Sweden. He has served on advisory Boards for Pfizer and has in the past received research grants from Pfizer for Tobacco Control projects but none for smoking cessation. SK and SL declare no competing interest.

References

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