Trial of physical Activity assisted Reduction of Smoking (TARS)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A multi-centred, parallel, two group, randomised controlled clinical trial, with internal pilot, to compare (i) tailored support to reduce smoking and increase physical activity as an aid to smoking reduction with (ii) brief advice to reduce or quit smoking.
IRAS ID
209533
Contact name
Adrian Taylor
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
A recent pilot study (EARS) showed that providing support to reduce cigarettes and increase physical activity may reduce smoking, and induce more quit attempts and short-term abstinence. By also focusing on increasing healthy behaviours some smokers may want to reduce and ultimately quit altogether. There are recent national guidelines to help smokers who are not ready to quit but until a larger study provides evidence that reducing smoking and increasing physical activity is effective, such an approach will not feature in any future updated guidelines.
The overall aim of the proposed research is to examine if supporting smokers (who do not want to quit immediately) to reduce smoking and increase physical activity results in a reduction in smoking and, most importantly, in more smokers deciding to quit, and remain abstinent for at least 12 months, compared to those receiving usual support.
Smokers recruited from primary health care will be assigned at random to receive either usual advice on reducing smoking, or a mixture of face-to-face and telephone sessions with a health trainer for up to 8 weeks which includes support to reduce smoking and increase physical activity as decided by the smoker. All participants will be asked to complete various surveys and measures after at baseline, 3, and 9 months. Only if participants report that they are no longer smoking at 3 and 9 months will they be asked to attend a face to face meeting with a researcher, to confirm abstinence using expired air levels of carbon monoxide. Only if after 9 months they are abstinent will they be followed up after 15 months. The number of participants needed for the study will be 900, coming from 4 sites. We will also estimate the intervention costs and predict what long-term health and social care savings this may produce.
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SW/0223
Date of REC Opinion
5 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion