INTRODUCTION: Only one previous study on minority retention in smoking cessation treatment has been conducted (Nevid JS, Javier RA, Moulton JL III. Factors predicting participant attrition in a community-based, culturally specific smoking cessation program for Hispanic smokers. Health Psychol 1996; 15: 226-29). We investigated predictors of intervention completion and assessment completion among Latino smokers (n = 131) with asthmatic children participating in a home-based asthma education study that included smoking cessation counseling.

METHODS: We examined a variety of pretreatment demographic and psychosocial predictors of intervention completion (completing all three home visits versus <3), assessment completion (attendance/not) and total study participation (completing all six contacts versus <6).

RESULTS: Lower levels of depressed mood (OR = 0.912, 95% CI: 0.857-0.971, P < 0.01) and fewer 'pros' of smoking (OR = 0.882, 95% CI: 0.809-0.961, P < 0.01) predicted intervention completion. Predictors of assessment completion included having more friends who smoke (OR = 2.09, 95% CI: 1.23-3.56, P < 0.01), fewer pros of smoking (OR = 0.87, 95% CI: 0.81-0.95, P < 0.01) and a strong belief that quitting smoking would benefit the child's asthma (OR = 1.69, 95% CI: 1.04-2.74, P < 0.05). Unemployed participants were more likely to complete all six study contacts than those who were working (OR = 0.37, 95% CI: 0.14-0.99, P < 0.05).

DISCUSSION: Findings suggest the need to tailor retention strategies during active treatment and follow-up assessments to target those who at risk of dropping out.