# Expanding population-level interventions to help more low-income smokers quit

> **NIH NIH R01** · WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY · 2021 · $249,456

## Abstract

Over 10 million American households have fallen behind on rent or are ≥3 months behind on
mortgage payments during COVID-19. These households are disproportionately low-income
and twice as likely to be home to racial or ethnic minorities compared to whites. The City of St.
Louis, MO is using its American Rescue Plan (HR1319) allocation to establish a rent-relief
helpline and support fund to assist such households. We will build upon this unique opportunity
with an innovative cross-sector project to ask rent-relief helpline callers about COVID-19
vaccination and testing, and evaluate strategies to help them with both. In Aim 1 we will
determine the COVID-19 vaccination rate of housing-unstable adults in St. Louis. In Aim 2, we
will evaluate the impact of targeted messages on unvaccinated callers’ getting vaccinated. In
Aim 3, we will evaluate a proven sequential request strategy to elicit in-home COVID-19 testing
among those who are not interested in getting vaccinated. The study was jointly conceived with
existing RADxUP and CEAL community partners, draws upon the RADxUP Coordinating Center
and consortium of grantees to access testing technology, uses common data elements, and is
highly responsive to priorities outlined in the FOSI. Because many communities across the U.S.
will be establishing similar rent-relief programs and services, findings from the proposed study
have the potential for wide application, integrating vaccination and testing into social services.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10403887
- **Project number:** 3R01CA235773-03S2
- **Recipient organization:** WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** MATTHEW W. KREUTER
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $249,456
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2019-07-23 → 2024-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10403887

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10403887, Expanding population-level interventions to help more low-income smokers quit (3R01CA235773-03S2). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10403887. Licensed CC0.

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