Research Project

Biomarker Feedback to Motivate Tobacco Cessation in Pregnant Alaska Native Women Project Leader: Christi Patten, Ph.D. Mayo Clinic Rochester MN Project Summary: Developing effective tobacco cessation inten/entions during pregnancy for American Indian and Alaska Native people is a national priority and will contribute to the U.S. public health objective of reducing tobaccorelated cancer health disparities. The proposed project builds on our successful partnership with the Alaska Native community and previous work with Alaska Native pregnant women. We propose to develop and test a novel biomarker feedback intervention relating cotinine levels in the urine of pregnant women with the woman and infant's likely exposure to the tobacco specific nitrosamine and carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1 -(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone) (NNK). This 5-year project will be conducted in three phases. In Phase 1 we will utilize a non-randomized, clinical observational trial to examine biomarkers of nicotine and carcinogen exposure (urine cotinine and total NNAL [a metabolite of NNK], respectively) among 150 maternal-infant pairs with assessments conducted during pregnancy and at delivery. In Phase 2, we will obtain qualitative feedback on the findings from Phase 1 through individual interviews conducted with 32 women who use tobacco to develop the biomarker feedback intervention messages. Phase 3 will consist of a formative evaluation of the biomarker feedback intervention with 80 pregnant women using a two-group randomized design to assess the intervention's feasibility and acceptability, and the biochemically confirmed abstinence rate at the end of pregnancy. All phases of the project will be guided by a Community Advisory Committee. Each phase is an important step to advance our understanding of the potential for biomarker feedback as a strategy to help Alaska Native pregnant women quit tobacco use. The potential reach of the intervention is significant from a public health perspective as over 600 tobacco users deliver each year at the Alaska Native Medical Center in Anchorage where the proposed project will take place. Developing effective interventions for tobacco cessation during pregnancy is important to reduce adverse health consequences for the mother and neonate and future risk of tobacco-caused cancers.