African-American of use the American Cancer Society's Smokers' Quitline: The prevalence of depression and its relationship to quitting success

B10

In considering health disparities it is important to consider both areas where improvement is needed and projects that successfully reach and assist the traditionally underserved. The American Cancer Society’s (ACS) Quitline project provides telephone-based cessation assistance in contract areas to anyone who has access to a telephone. Historically this service has been very successful in reaching and assisting African-Americans and economically disadvantaged individuals. ACS has conducted several empirical studies to monitor African-American use of the Quitline as a function of their prevalence in the smoking communities in several states. ACS has also conducted several experimental studies to evaluate the effectiveness of the Quitline for African-Americans. In these same experimental studies ACS has studied the prevalence of self-reported depression in both the African-American and European-American and its relationship to quitting success. This presentation will combine empirical studies of Quitline callers from Louisiana, Texas, and Washington, DC to demonstrate that African-Americans tend to use the Quitline in proportions at least as great as their proportional representation in the smoking communities in those states. The results from two clinical trials in which over 8000 clients were randomized to either be mailed self-help materials or to be mailed those materials and have access to the Quitline will be used to demonstrate that African-Americas and European-Americans benefit equally from access to the Quitline, that they have comparable rates of self-reported depression (above 45%), and that for both races/ethnicities, self-reported depression is associated with lower quit rates. The results from these empirical and experimental studies demonstrate that while the Quitline is effective in reaching and assisting African-Americans and European-Americans, more research is needed to understand how the Quitline can best assist persons from either race who self-report depression at the time they seek assistance.