Lessons learned from recruiting socioeconomically disadvantaged smokers into a pilot randomized controlled trial to explore the role of Exercise Assisted Reduction then Stop (EARS) smoking

Table 8 Characteristics of participants who were interviewed at the end of the study

	Control (N = 10) (20% of sample)	Intervention (N = 15) (30% of initial sample)
Demographics
Age (years); mean, (SD))	46 (11)	52 (11)
Gender (m:f)	5:5	8:7
Job status^a; n (%)
A1 to C1	0 (0)	0 (0)
C2 to E (excluding unemployed)	5 (50)	9 (60)
Unemployed	5 (50)	6 (40)
Single parenthood; n (%)	1 (10)	0 (0)
Baseline data
Smoking characteristics
Tobacco (grams/day); mean (SD)	17.4 (8.7)	18.4 (12.5)
FTND; mean (SD)	5.3 (1.9)	4.9 (1.7)
Self-reported MVPA (minutes/week); mean (SD)	595 (757)	401 (644)
Self-reported MVPA (minutes/week); Range; n (%)
0	2 (20)	4 (27)
1 - 499	4 (40)	9 (60)
500 - 1999	3 (30)	1 (7)
2000+	1 (10)	1 (7)
Quit attempt in past year; n (%)	5 (50)	5 (33)
Outcomes
Quit attempt made; n (%)	0 (0)	5 (33)
Four-week CO confirmed abstinence; n (%)	n/a	4 (80)
>50% reduction in smoking; n (%)	2 (20)	4 (>33)*
No change in smoking; n (%)	8 (80)	4 (>26)*
Recruitment
Avenue (GP:SSS:community); n (%)	5:5:0 (50:50:0)	7:6:2 (47:40:13)
Type (letter:telephone:other); n (%)	7:3:0 (70:30:0)	6:7:2 (40:47:13)

^aJob status from NRS social grades, UK.
*no data on 50% reduction for three participants. CO: Carbon monoxide; FTND: Fagerström test for nicotine dependence; ppm: Parts per million; MVPA: Moderate and vigorous physical activity; SD: Standard deviation.

ISSN: 1745-6215