The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) awarded a $694,771 Project Grant under the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research program (CFDA 93.307) to the Regents of the University of Minnesota, doing business as the Office of Sponsored Projects Administration, to evaluate population-based strategies for improving smoking cessation rates among rural populations.
The key objectives of this 4.75-year research project are to: 1) Determine the efficacy of providing a free nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) starter kit, along with digital cessation resources, in increasing smoking abstinence among rural individuals interested in quitting, and 2) Explore the potential of providing education on reduced-harm tobacco products as a secondary approach for those who do not successfully quit using NRT and digital resources. The project will also conduct interviews to contextualize participant responses and identify barriers/facilitators to smoking abstinence among rural populations. Findings from this study have the potential to inform evidence-based strategies for reducing tobacco-related health disparities in rural areas.