Orleans 1998.
Methods | Setting: Community, USA Recruitment: African American smokers calling a Cancer Information Service telephone counselling line in response to a targeted campaign | |
Participants | 1422 African American smokers; average age not stated, 62% in 20 to 39‐year age group, median cpd 20 | |
Interventions | ∙ 36‐page Pathways to Freedom guide and tailored TC. Guide used African American models and addressed specific obstacles ∙ Standard guide Clearing the Air and standard NCI TC | |
Outcomes | Abstinence at 6 months, 7‐day point prevalence, telephone questionnaire (12 months' abstinence also assessed in a sample of 445 smokers) Validation: none | |
Notes | Test of population targeting; counselling was also different for the 2 groups At 12 months, results showed significant differences (15.0% vs 8.8% for the sample selected for follow‐up) | |
Risk of bias | ||
Bias | Authors' judgement | Support for judgement |
Random sequence generation (selection bias) | Low risk | Randomised by last digit of caller's contact phone number; risk of bias probably low |
Allocation concealment (selection bias) | Low risk | Presumably recruited before phone number and thus allocation known, so risk of bias probably low |
Blinding (performance bias and detection bias) All outcomes | High risk | Self‐reported outcomes from participants not blinded to treatment condition; intervention includes personal contact with tailoring in one group |
Incomplete outcome data (attrition bias) All outcomes | Low risk | 37% lost to follow‐up at 6 months No differential dropout Meta‐analysis includes non‐responders as smokers |