A Web-Based Text Messaging for Tobacco Cessation in Rural Mississippi

NCT07431619 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: UMMC-IRB-2024-453
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 150
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

Cigarette smoking prevalence has decreased to \~12% in 2022; however, over 40 million U.S. adults were current cigarette smokers in the same year. Rural-urban disparities in tobacco use are persistent, with higher tobacco use and lower cessation in rural areas. Less research has been dedicated to addressing rural-urban tobacco use disparities, perhaps due to logistics, difficulty recruiting and following participants from rural areas, and challenges with conducting clinic-based interventions. Mississippi is one of the states with higher rurality, as 79% of Mississippi counties are classified as rural. Additionally, Mississippi has a higher prevalence of tobacco use and lower cessation rates compared with the national average. Moreover, Mississippi is one of the few states that did not expand Medicaid, which covers comprehensive tobacco cessation services. This may add to the persistent disparity in tobacco use and cessation between rural and urban Mississippians. To overcome these challenges, the investigators propose a randomized clinical trial to test the effectiveness of theory-driven text messaging for tobacco cessation in rural Mississippi among users of cigarettes, smokeless tobacco (SLT), and dual users of cigarettes and SLT. Specifically, this proposal has the following specific aims: (1) To conduct a two-arm, randomized, clinical trial (RCT) of a web-based, text messaging approach for tobacco cessation among cigarette smokers, SLT users and dual users from rural Mississippi; (2) To assess the effectiveness of a web-based, text messaging intervention on tobacco cessation among cigarette smokers, SLT users and dual users; and (3) To identify barriers to and facilitators of tobacco cessation using ecological momentary assessment (EMA). To achieve these aims, a sample of 150 tobacco users (50 cigarette smokers, 50 SLT users, 50 dual users) who intend to quit and have made ≥1 quit attempt in the past 6 months will be recruited via a web-based, crowdsourcing platform (ResearchMatch.org). ResearchMatch.org is a large crowdsourcing platform that facilitates recruitment of a desired research sample from an online panel. Eligible participants will be randomized to intervention and control arms and will be asked to set up a quit date within the first 4 weeks post-intervention. Participants in the intervention arm will receive up to 3 motivational text messages daily during the first 4 weeks, and up to 2 daily during the last 2 weeks. The same frequency will be followed for the control group, but they will receive non-specific text messages. Participants will also receive a daily, midday text message during weeks 1-10 post-intervention to document the barriers and facilitators of tobacco cessation using EMA approach. After week 10 and to the end of 6 months post-intervention, the frequency of EMA texts will be reduced to once per week. Two-way text messaging will be facilitated via a web-based service called Mosio. The investigators will assess prolonged and 7-day point prevalence abstinence at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-intervention. This project represents an attempt to test a simple and innovative approach to reducing rural-urban tobacco use disparities and overall tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. The findings can facilitate applying for extramural funding for a larger trial.

Conditions

Tobacco Cessation

Keywords

Rural; Text messaging; Smokeless tobacco

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Prolonged abstinence

  Prolonged abstinence is defined as self-report of not using cigarettes (among cigarette smokers), SLT (among SLT users), and both SLT and cigarettes (among dual users) between baseline and 6 months post-randomization. This outcome will be measured at three time points: 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-randomization.

  Baseline to 6 months post-randomization

• 7-day point prevalence abstinence

  At each time point (6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months), participants will complete a survey and self-report their tobacco use during the past 7 days prior to the survey. 7-day point prevalence abstinence is defined as not using cigarettes (among cigarette smokers), SLT (among SLT users), and both SLT and cigarettes (among dual users) during the 7 days prior to the survey.

  Past 7 days

Secondary Outcomes (1)

• Prolonged abstinence of all tobacco products

  Baseline to 6 months

Study Arms (2)

Motivational text messaging

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants will receive motivational text messaging for tobacco cessation

Behavioral: Motivational text messaging for tobacco cessation

Non-specific text messaging

PLACEBO COMPARATOR

Participants will receive non-specific text messaging

Behavioral: Non-specific text messaging

Interventions

Motivational text messaging for tobacco cessation BEHAVIORAL

Participants will receive motivational text messaging for tobacco cessation.

Motivational text messaging

Non-specific text messaging BEHAVIORAL

Non-specific text messaging

Non-specific text messaging

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• ≥18 years-old
• resident of rural Mississippi (verified by a ZIP code)
• not planning to move out of Mississippi during the next 6 months
• own a personal cellphone with an unlimited texting plan
• having the intention to quit tobacco and having made at least 1 quit attempt in the past 6 months
• smokes ≥5 cigarettes per day during the past 6 months (for the cigarette smoking condition)
• uses SLT ≥3 times per day during the past 6 months (for the SLT condition)
• concurrent use of cigarettes and SLT on ≥15 days monthly during the past 6 months (for the dual use condition).

You may not qualify if:

• a self-report of being diagnosed with or taking medications for severe mental illness
• refusal to provide informed consent
• having no intention to quit tobacco
• currently using electronic cigarettes or pharmacological medications for tobacco cessation
• currently participating in another RCT.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Mississippi Medical Center: lead

Related Links

• ResearchMatch.org for recruting participants
• A web-based, two-way text messaging will be facilitated through Mosio, a two-way texting platform that allows participants send texts to the study coordinator.

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Tobacco Use Cessation; Tobacco Use

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Health Behavior; Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Raed A Bahelah, PhD

CONTACT

601-815-9523; rbahelah@umc.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 22, 2025
• First Posted: February 24, 2026
• Study Start (Estimated): December 1, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 30, 2027
• Last Updated: February 24, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-02

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share