Measuring Communal Coping in Dual-smoking Couples Making a Quit Attempt

May 13, 2026 updated by: University of Colorado, Denver

Communal Coping in Dual-Smoking Couples During a Quit Attempt

Smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States, and quitting is especially difficult for couples who both smoke. When both partners smoke, they are less likely to quit successfully and more likely to relapse compared to people whose partner does not smoke. Research suggests that the way romantic partners interact and support each other during a quit attempt can make a real difference - but researchers do not yet know enough about what kinds of support actually help.

This study examines a concept called "communal coping," which refers to when partners treat a shared health challenge - like quitting smoking - as something they are facing together as a team rather than as separate individuals. Researchers believe that couples who approach quitting this way may have better outcomes.

To study this, researchers will ask both members of dual-smoking couples to complete brief daily surveys over two weeks while making a quit attempt. These surveys will track how partners support (or discourage) each other's quitting efforts on a day-to-day basis, along with cigarette use, cravings, and stress. This will help researchers understand which relationship patterns are most helpful for quitting, and identify specific targets for future couples-based smoking cessation programs.

Study Overview

Status

Recruiting

Conditions

Study Type

Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

250

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Colorado
      • Denver, Colorado, United States, 80204
        • Recruiting
        • University of Colorado Denver
        • Contact:

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

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Dual-smoking couples residing in the United States

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Are over the age of 18
  • Smoke cigarettes on a daily basis
  • Smoke at least 5 cigarettes per day on average
  • Are in a committed relationship with an individual who smokes at least 5 cigarettes per day on average and is willing to participate in the study
  • Are willing to make a smoking cessation attempt at the time of enrollment into the study (applies to only one partner).

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

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Self-report of smoking abstinence
Time Frame: Daily for the first two weeks of the study period, and in the follow-up survey two weeks later.
Participants will report how many cigarettes they smoked (or didn't smoke) in their daily diary surveys.
Daily for the first two weeks of the study period, and in the follow-up survey two weeks later.
Concentration of carbon monoxide found in lungs.
Time Frame: Daily for the first two weeks of the study.
Participants will use a carbon monoxide breathalyzer and report the results in their daily diary surveys.
Daily for the first two weeks of the study.

Collaborators and Investigators

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

Sponsor

University of Colorado, Denver

Collaborators

University of Oklahoma

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 (Actual)

March 20, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

December 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

April 13, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

April 20, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

April 28, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 15, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 13, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 23-2285

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

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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