Project COMBAT: Combating Tobacco Use in the United States Army

July 20, 2016 updated by: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Combating Tobacco Use in the United States Army

The goal of this behavioral research study is to test a new multimedia anti-tobacco video game tailored to the U.S. Army. Researchers want to study how using the program affects tobacco use in soldiers, as compared to standard anti-tobacco programs.

Study Overview

Status

Withdrawn

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

Researchers in the M. D. Anderson Department of Behavioral Science are developing a new video game program for young U.S. Army service members. The game addresses stopping and preventing the use of cigarettes and smokeless tobacco. Soldiers (ages 18-35 years) stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, who are not scheduled to be mobilized for a 13-month period, will be invited to take part in the study.

The Study Groups:

If you choose to take part in this study, you will be assigned to a type of study intervention. The personnel companies on-base have been randomly assigned (as in the flip of a coin) to offer participating service members 1 of the following 2 programs: either the educational video game (called the "intervention"), or pamphlets on stopping tobacco use (called "standard care"). Each company will receive only 1 of the 2 programs, and all participating service members in the same company will receive the same program. Each company has an equal chance of being assigned to either program.

Intervention:

Participants in the intervention group will have a month to use the educational anti-tobacco video game located in areas that will provide convenient access. The game will be made available using an arcade-type kiosk which houses the computer game. After playing the video game on the kiosk for three 30-minute sessions, you will then be given a CD-ROM disc of the game to use as needed. After finishing these three 30-minute computer sessions, you will also receive a series of printed materials that go along with the computer sessions.

Standard Care:

The standard care participants will receive a self-help pamphlet about stopping and avoiding tobacco use, provided by the National Institutes of Health.

Both Intervention and Standard Care Groups:

No matter which group your company is assigned to, if you choose to take part, you will be asked to complete surveys by computer at 4 points throughout the study. The survey will include questions about tobacco use, such as how much tobacco you use, how many times you have tried to quit, how ready you are to quit, how dependent you are on nicotine, any withdrawal and breathing symptoms you experience, your level of alcohol use, and support from family and friends. Each survey should take about 30 minutes to complete.

The first surveys will take place at the start of study participation. The intervention group will complete the second survey right after finishing the program. The standard care group will complete this second survey at about the same time as the intervention group. Both groups will also complete the third and fourth surveys at 6- and 12-month follow-ups.

You will be asked to provide saliva samples at the 12-month follow-up visit. Researchers will use these saliva samples to measure the level of cotinine, a chemical in your saliva that is related to tobacco use. You will be asked to spit into a clean plastic container. A dipstick will be placed in the container for at least 30 minutes. After reading the dipstick and recording the result, the study staff will throw away the saliva sample right away.

You will also be told about the nicotine replacement therapy and other tobacco cessation services available at no cost through the Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center (CRDAMC) Tobacco Cessation Program at Fort Hood. M. D. Anderson is collaborating with the CRDAMC Tobacco Cessation Program on this study.

This is an investigational study. Up to 2050 soldiers will be asked to take part in this study.

Study Type

Observational

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Soldiers stationed at Fort Hood, Texas, who are not scheduled to be mobilized for a 13-month period.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  1. Active duty service members, age 18 or above, who have entered the Army stationed at Joint Base San Antonio
  2. Does not have to be a current smoker or user of alternative tobacco products
  3. Must provide contact information including: an address, telephone number, and an email address
  4. Willing to answer two questions regarding status of smoking and smokeless tobacco use on study survey
  5. Have access to the Internet
  6. Speak, read and write in English at a sixth-grade literacy level

Exclusion Criteria:

N/A

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
Intervention / Treatment
Intervention
Educational video game
Behavioral: Video Game
Educational anti-tobacco video game played on arcade-type kiosk for three 30-minute sessions, plus CD-ROM disc of game to use as needed, and series of illustrated materials to go along with computer sessions.
Behavioral: Surveys
Computer surveys taken at 4 points throughout the study.
Other Names:
  • Questionnaire
Standard Care
Pamphlets on stopping tobacco use
Behavioral: Surveys
Computer surveys taken at 4 points throughout the study.
Other Names:
  • Questionnaire
Behavioral: Pamphlet
Self-help pamphlet about stopping and avoiding tobacco use, provided by the National Institutes of Health.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
Reductions in Smoking Initiation/Smokeless Tobacco Use and Smoking Cessation
Time Frame: Baseline, immediately following completion of the program, and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups
Baseline, immediately following completion of the program, and at 6- and 12-month follow-ups

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Collaborators

United States Department of Defense

Investigators

  • Study Chair: Alex Prokhorov, MD, PHD, M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

June 1, 2009

Primary Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2016

Study Completion (Actual)

July 1, 2016

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

July 16, 2009

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 28, 2009

First Posted (Estimate)

July 29, 2009

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Estimate)

July 21, 2016

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 20, 2016

Last Verified

July 1, 2016

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2009-0222
  • W81XWH-09-2-0033 (Other Identifier: DOD)

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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