Relationships between desire to quit and engagement with and reactions to tailored print smoking cessation materials

For tailored materials to have an effect, recipients should engage with the materials and perceive them positively. But what factors predict engagement and positive reactions? Among 266 family members of lung cancer patients recruited for a randomized controlled trial testing counseling and tailored self-help intervention materials for smoking cessation, we assessed whether those with higher desire to quit smoking at baseline were more likely to engage with and react positively to the materials. Desire to quit did not predict engagement with materials; those with low and high desire were equally likely to recall receiving the materials, look at them, read some or all, and share them with someone else. However, those with a higher desire reported more positive reactions to the materials. Compared to those with lower desire to quit, they were more likely to report the materials were applicable to them (p=.04), new to them (p=.05), interesting (p=.002), trustworthy (p=.0005), moving (p<.0001) and to say information in the booklet make them want to quit smoking (p=.0002). Findings suggest that, although those with higher and lower desire to quit showed no difference in their engagement with the materials, the tailored print materials were more likely to achieve the desired effect (e.g., “striking a chord”) with family members who had high desire to quit. Individuals already motivated to change behavior may be especially open to receiving tailored messages about changing that behavior.