Personalized Support Using Instant Messaging Applications to Increase Smoking Cessation

NCT03800719 | Unknown

• 1 other identifier: Personalized IM+referral
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 696
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This study aims to assess the effect of personalized support using instant messaging application on smoking cessation in smokers proactively recruited from smoking hotspots in Hong Kong.

Conditions

Smoking Cessation

Keywords

smoking cessation; active referral; IM

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Biochemically-validated abstinence at 6-month

  Defined as exhaled carbon monoxide \<4ppm

  6-month after baseline

• Biochemically-validated abstinence at 12-month

  Defined as exhaled carbon monoxide \<4ppm

  12-month after baseline

Secondary Outcomes (8)

• Self-reported past 7-day abstinence

  6-month and 12-month after baseline

• Self-reported 24-week continuous abstinence

  6-month and 12-month after baseline

• Smoking reduction

  6-month and 12-month after baseline

• Perceived importance, confidence and difficulties of quitting

  6-month and 12-month after baseline

• Intention to quit

  6-month and 12-month after baseline

Study Arms (2)

Intervention Group

EXPERIMENTAL

AWARD advice, health warning leaflet, active referral to smoking cessation (SC) services, regular messages through Instant Messaging (IM), psychosocial support and referral to SC services through IM

Behavioral: AWARD advice; Behavioral: Health warning leaflet; Behavioral: Active referral to smoking cessation (SC) services; Behavioral: Regular messages through Instant Messaging (IM); Behavioral: Psychosocial support and referral to SC services through IM

Control Group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

AWARD advice, health warning leaflet, active referral to smoking cessation (SC) services, SMS message on general health

Behavioral: AWARD advice; Behavioral: Health warning leaflet; Behavioral: Active referral to smoking cessation (SC) services; Behavioral: Message on general health delivered by short message service (SMS)

Interventions

AWARD advice BEHAVIORAL

At baseline, brief smoking cessation advice following AWARD model will be delivered to subjects within about 2 to 5 minutes: * Ask about smoking history and habit * Warn about the risks of smoking using a leaflet * Advise to quit smoking as soon as possible and use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or SC services * Refer subjects to free smoking cessation services in Hong Kong if they agree * Do it again: smokers who have tried to quit but relapsed will be encouraged to quit again and those who have reduced smoking will be advised to further reduce or quit smoking

Control Group; Intervention Group

Health warning leaflet BEHAVIORAL

At baseline, an A5-sized leaflet will be given to subjects, which includes information about risks of smoking, pictures of smoking-related diseases, and smoking cessation services provided in Hong Kong.

Control Group; Intervention Group

Active referral to smoking cessation (SC) services BEHAVIORAL

At baseline, subjects will be encouraged to seek smoking cessation services in Hong Kong. If subjects agree, their contact information will be sent to the preferred service providers for a quick appointment and follow-up.

Control Group; Intervention Group

Regular messages through Instant Messaging (IM) BEHAVIORAL

A total of pre-set 26 messages will be sent to subjects through WhatsApp 12 weeks after baseline to remind the quit date and to encourage abstinence. Messages are tailored based on subjects' sociodemographic characteristics and smoking habit following Social Cognitive Theory and Transtheoretical Model. Messages will be sent with the schedule of once daily for 1 week (the week across the quit date), 3 times a week for 4 weeks (2 weeks each before and after the week with quit date) and once a week for remaining 7 weeks. The schedule will be adjusted according to the quit date and also smokers' requests. The format of regular messages will mainly be text-based but also include pictures, animations and videos.

Intervention Group

Psychosocial support and referral to SC services through IM BEHAVIORAL

Personalized interactive text or voice conversation will be provided by trained smoking cessation advisors through WhatsApp for 3 months after baseline. Advisors will periodically proactively send messages to subjects to initiate the conversation (e.g. asking recent progress of smoking cessation) and deliver evidence-based advice. Advisors will also actively refer subjects, if they have expressed the need, to smoking cessation services providers. A standard operation algorithm for advisors used in the pilot feasibility trial will be modified for the use.

Intervention Group

Message on general health delivered by short message service (SMS) BEHAVIORAL

After baseline, regular messages using SMS will be sent to subjects with similar frequency to Intervention group. The messages include information on general health and reminders on follow-up surveys and biochemical validation for quitting.

Control Group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Adult smokers aged 18+ who smoke cigarette(s) daily.
• Exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) level of 4ppm or above.
• Having smartphones with IM Apps (WhatsApp) and have experience in using.
• Hong Kong residents able to read and communicate in Chinese (Cantonese or Putonghua).

You may not qualify if:

• Smokers who have psychiatric/psychological diseases or are on regular psychotropic medications.
• Smokers who are using SC medication, NRT, other SC services or projects.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong

Hong Kong, 000000, Hong Kong

RECRUITING

Related Publications (45)

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  PMID: 38739429 DERIVED

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Smoking Cessation

Interventions

Psychiatric Rehabilitation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Health Behavior; Behavior

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Rehabilitation; Therapeutics; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Central Study Contacts

Fleur Lee, MPhil

CONTACT

+852-39176955; fleurlee@hku.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: TRIPLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT, INVESTIGATOR, OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: January 8, 2019
• First Posted: January 11, 2019
• Study Start: December 15, 2018
• Primary Completion: December 31, 2020
• Study Completion: December 31, 2020
• Last Updated: September 30, 2019

Record last verified: 2019-09

Locations

HK (1)