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Helping Young Smokers Quit:
Program Evaluation Information

Helping Young Smokers Quit (HYSQ) invites youth smoking cessation programs to apply for participation in HYSQ’s groundbreaking national study.

What Is The Helping Young Smokers Quit Study?

Helping Young Smokers Quit is a two-phase national program of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention – Office on Smoking and Health, and the National Cancer Institute. HYSQ is directed by Sue Curry, Ph.D., at the University of Illinois at Chicago. The study has two main goals: first, to identify and describe tobacco treatment programs available to youth across the United States, and second, to evaluate smoking cessation programs that are tailored for youth to help understand what works. Findings from HYSQ will assist practitioners, researchers, and funding organizations plan future youth smoking cessation programs and activities. In Phase I, HYSQ interviewed the administrators from 591 youth tobacco cessation programs in a sample of U.S. counties. The information provided was used to guide the HYSQ evaluation for Phase II.

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What Is The HYSQ Evaluation?

Phase II will evaluate 50 to 60 youth tobacco cessation programs over two years. We will collect information from program participants, program leaders, representatives of the providing organizations, and community representatives. This information will help us learn what works best to help young smokers quit.

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Should My Program Apply To Participate In The Evaluation?

The HYSQ evaluation is generally interested in evaluating established programs that:

• Have offered a smoking cessation program at least once in the past year;
• Are planning to offer the smoking cessation program again in the next year;
• Use trained providers that work from a written treatment manual or guide;
• Serve high school aged youth (ages 14 – 18 years);
• Serve at least 15 high school aged participants per year; and
• Are not currently part of any research projects (not including self-evaluation).

HYSQ seeks to evaluate a wide variety of programs with a range of program characteristics, including programs with unique approaches to cessation, and those that serve specific populations.

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How Will Participating In The HYSQ Evaluation Affect My Program?

We are committed to minimizing any disruption to the usual delivery of your program. There will be no required change to the content of your program, or where, when and who delivers it. Our evaluation mainly involves collecting information from the youth who sign up for the program and choose to participate in the study, and the person(s) who deliver the treatment. Participating youth will complete a survey when the program starts, when it ends, and 6 and 12 months after treatment begins. HYSQ staff will collect this information. The person(s) delivering the treatment will be interviewed once or twice, either in person or on the telephone. We will also interview a representative from the organization that offers the program and two or three community leaders to learn more about the program’s broader setting.

To make sure that the evaluation runs smoothly and is not disruptive, we ask that a single person at each organization be appointed as the main contact with HYSQ evaluation staff. This person will help with scheduling times and locations for interviews and communicating with program participants and parents as necessary.

The HYSQ evaluation will start in the fall of 2004. We plan to phase in programs over an 8-month period, depending on our schedule, where programs are located, and when programs are offered. The overall evaluation will last about a year. Most of the activities that involve program staff will occur within the first few months.

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What Are The Direct Benefits Of Participating In The HYSQ Evaluation?

• Each program that participates in the evaluation receives the following:
  • A comprehensive evaluation report that summarizes what we learn about their program, and compares that information to the overall information obtained from the other programs. This report can support future programming decisions and could be used in grant proposals and other requests for outside funding.
  • A tool-kit for future self-evaluations.
  • Sequential payments for participating in the evaluation that total $2,500.
     
• Each youth who participates in the evaluation receives compensation for filling out each survey with a total value of approximately $100.
  • Youth will continue their participation in the evaluation whether or not they quit smoking, and whether or not they drop out of the program.
     
• There are important indirect benefits to participating in the HYSQ evaluation:
  • The benefits to young smokers across the country who may have access to more and better cessation programs as a result of this evaluation.
  • The recognition of your program by being selected for a national evaluation.
  • The overall contribution that the program evaluation findings will make to the tobacco control community.

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What Does My Program Need To Do To Apply For The HYSQ Evaluation?

All applications are submitted through our website. The application will be available starting on March 15, 2004. To apply, you need to:

• Go to the HYSQ website: helpingyoungsmokersquit.org
• Click on the “Program Evaluation” navigation tab at the top of the home page.
• Complete application instructions are provided.

The application consists primarily of check-boxes and fill-in-the-blank questions about your program, such as where it is offered and the type of services provided. You will also need to submit a letter of support from the head of your organization (e.g., school principal or executive director). An example letter is included with the application instructions.

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What Are The Important Dates To Remember?

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How Can I Find Out More?

HYSQ opened telephone and e-mail support lines on March 1, 2004. The support lines will remain open throughout the two-month application period.

In April 2004, HYSQ will host informational conference calls to describe the evaluation in detail, and answer any questions about the evaluation and application process.

To reach us, send us an e-mail to or call toll-free at (888) 700-4973.

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