RESEARCH REPORT

Contingent incentives reduce cigarette smoking among pregnant, methadone-maintained women: results of an initial feasibility and efficacy randomized clinical trial

  1. Michelle Tuten1,*,
  2. Heather Fitzsimons1,
  3. Margaret S. Chisolm1,
  4. Paul A. Nuzzo4,
  5. Hendree E. Jones1,2,3

Article first published online: 21 JUN 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03923.x

Issue

Addiction

Addiction

Volume 107, Issue 10, pages 1868–1877, October 2012

Additional Information

How to Cite

Tuten, M., Fitzsimons, H., Chisolm, M. S., Nuzzo, P. A. and Jones, H. E. (2012), Contingent incentives reduce cigarette smoking among pregnant, methadone-maintained women: results of an initial feasibility and efficacy randomized clinical trial. Addiction, 107: 1868–1877. doi: 10.1111/j.1360-0443.2012.03923.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

  2. 2

    RTI International, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA

  3. 3

    Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA

  4. 4

    Center on Drug and Alcohol Research, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA

* Correspondence to: Michelle Tuten, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center, Mason F. Lord Building, East Tower, Room E-361, Baltimore, MD 21224, USA. E-mail: mtuten@jhmi.edu

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 10 SEP 2012
  2. Article first published online: 21 JUN 2012
  3. Manuscript Accepted: 18 APR 2012
  4. Manuscript Revised: 17 JAN 2012
  5. Manuscript Received: 8 DEC 2011

Funded by

  • NIDA. Grant Number: R01DA12403

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Keywords:

  • Cigarette smoking;
  • contingency management;
  • opioids;
  • pregnancy;
  • shaping procedures

Abstract

Aims

This study examined the feasibility and efficacy of behavioral incentives for reducing cigarette smoking among pregnant methadone-maintained patients.

Design

Participants (n = 102) were assigned randomly to: (i) contingent behavioral incentives (CBI: n = 42); (ii) non-contingent behavioral incentives (NCBI: n = 28); or (iii) treatment as usual (TAU: n = 32).

Setting

Study procedures were implemented at the Center for Addiction and Pregnancy in Baltimore, MD.

Participants

Study participants were pregnant, methadone-maintained women enrolled in substance use disorder treatment.

Measurements

Baseline carbon monoxide (CO) levels were calculated for each participant. Subsequently, breath samples were tested three times weekly to measure changes in smoking behavior. CBI participants received incentives for target reductions from baseline: any reduction (week 1); 10% reduction (weeks 2–4), 25% reduction (weeks 5–7), 50% reduction (weeks 8–9), 75% reduction (week 10–11); and abstinence [CO < 4 parts per million (p.p.m.)] (week 12 until delivery). NCBI participants received incentives independent of smoking CO measurement results. TAU participants received no incentives, the standard treatment at the program.

Findings

CBI condition participants submitted significantly lower mean CO values than the NCBI and TAU conditions over the course of the intervention (P < 0.0001). Nearly half (48%) of the CBI participants met the 75% smoking reduction target and one-third (31%) met the abstinence target at week 12. In contrast, none of the NCBI met either the 75% or abstinence targets. Only 2% of the TAU participants met the 75% reduction and none of the TAU participants met the abstinence targets. These smoking behavior reductions did not yield significant differences in birth outcomes.

Conclusions

Cigarette smoking may be reduced significantly among pregnant, methadone-maintained women through the use of contingent reinforcement for gradual reductions in breath carbon monoxide levels.

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