CONWAY, Ark. (April 4, 2016) – Hendrix College alumna Shelby Massey ’15, along with economics professor Dr. Tom Stanley, recently published a paper titled, “Evidence of nicotine replacement’s effectiveness dissolves when meta-regression accommodates multiple sources of
bias,” in the Journal of Clinical
Epidemiology, a high impact medical research journal.
Smoking is the leading cause of preventable death in the US, and the World Health Organization regards nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) as essential medicine.
Massey’s research found that identified risks of bias and potential publication bias are both associated with an increase in the reported effectiveness of NRT across 122 placebo-controlled clinical trials.
Commonly known as the ‘patch’ or the ‘gum,’ NRT is thought to help smokers quit by supplying them with nicotine without smoking. However, when multiple sources of biases are accommodated by meta-regression, no evidence of a practically notable or statistically significant overall increased rate of
smoking cessation remains.
Stanley and Massey’s research is in stark contrast with the 50 to 70% increase in smoking cessation reported by an authoritative
Cochrane Collaboration systematic review.
“It is quite unusual for a senior thesis to lead to publication in such a highly respected academic journal,” Stanley observed. “Shelby’s research has the potential to change practice. After more than one hundred randomized clinical trials have been conducted, the overall effectiveness of
nicotine replacement therapy remains in doubt.”
Massey is currently studying at Oklahoma State University’s medical school.
About Hendrix College
Hendrix College is a private liberal arts college in Conway, Arkansas. Founded in 1876 and affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884, Hendrix is featured in Colleges That Change Lives:
40 Schools That Will Change the Way You Think about Colleges and is nationally recognized in numerous college guides, lists, and rankings for academic quality, community, innovation, and value. For more information, visit
www.hendrix.edu.