Ecological Momentary Assessment of Smoking Triggers, Needs, and Cigarette Forgoing

NCT07852845 | Not Yet Recruiting

• 1 other identifier: IRB00002615
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 45
• Locations: 0 countries
• Sites: N/A

Brief Summary

This study will evaluate a smartphone-based program designed to support adults who smoke cigarettes. Participants will use the spark app to complete brief surveys during the day and a daily evening survey about their smoking urges, smoking, decisions not to smoke, and everyday experiences. Participants will also log cigarettes when they smoke. After some cigarette logs, participants will answer a few additional questions about their situation and feelings; after others, they will only log the cigarette. The study has three phases. In the first phase, participants will complete surveys and cigarette logs without receiving intervention messages. In the second phase, they will receive motivational messages at random times. In the third phase, message timing and content will be tailored using information collected during the earlier phases. The study will examine whether personalized motivational messages can help participants forgo smoking in daily life.

Conditions

Smoking ( Cigarette)

Keywords

Ecological momentary assessment; Ecological momentary intervention; just-in-time adaptive intervention; smartphone intervention; smoking cessation; cigarette smoking; smoking urge; craving; smoking forgoing; adaptive intervention; mobile health; motivational messages

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Percentage of weekly smoking urge episodes in which smoking is forgone

  Smoking forgoing will be assessed using study-specific ecological momentary assessment (EMA) item: "Since the last prompt (check-in or smoking report), have you \*chosen\* to skip any cigarettes that you normally would have smoked?" (yes/no). The outcome is the percentage of participant-reported smoking urge episodes per week. Higher percentages indicate more smoking forgoing.

  During the 21-day study period

• Number of cigarettes smoked per day

  Cigarette smoking will be assessed using count of the participant-initiated cigarette-event logs. The outcome is the mean number of cigarettes smoked per participant per week during the study period.

  During the 21-day study period

Secondary Outcomes (4)

• Mean weekly momentary smoking urge/craving intensity score

  During the 21-day study period

• Weekly EMA adherence

  Throughout the study (week 1, 2, and 3).

• Smoking forgoing following motivational-message delivery

  During the two bouts of 7-day Non-Adaptive EMI and Adaptive EMI phases of the 21-day study period.

• Cigarette smoking following motivational-message delivery

  During the two bouts of 7-day Non-Adaptive EMI and Adaptive EMI phases of the 21-day study period.

Study Arms (1)

Single Group (EMA/EMI sequence)

EXPERIMENTAL

All participants complete three phases in sequence: an EMA Observation Phase with no intervention messages; a Non-Adaptive EMI Phase with randomly timed motivational messages; and an Adaptive EMI Phase with motivational messages timed and tailored using predictive models. Participants complete EMA and evening surveys throughout and may self-initiate cigarette-event logs.

Behavioral: Non-Adaptive Motivational EMI; Behavioral: Adaptive Motivational EMI

Interventions

Non-Adaptive Motivational EMI BEHAVIORAL

Smartphone-delivered motivational messages provided at randomly selected times during the Non-Adaptive EMI Phase. Message timing and content are not tailored using participant behavior, context, or assessment data.

Single Group (EMA/EMI sequence)

Adaptive Motivational EMI BEHAVIORAL

Smartphone-delivered motivational messages provided during the Adaptive EMI Phase. Message timing is determined using predictive models developed from earlier study-phase data, and message content is adapted to the participant's estimated likelihood of successfully forgoing smoking in their current context.

Single Group (EMA/EMI sequence)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Age 21 years or older.
• Has smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime.
• Currently smokes cigarettes every day.
• Smokes 10 or fewer cigarettes per day.
• Owns a compatible smartphone with reliable internet access and is willing to install and use the \*spark\* study application.
• Able to read and understand English.
• Willing and able to complete smartphone-based assessments, self-initiated cigarette-event logs, and daily evening surveys for the study duration.
• Able and willing to provide informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Current use of electronic cigarettes or vaping products.
• Unable to provide informed consent.
• Does not have a compatible smartphone or reliable internet access.
• Unable to complete study procedures because of a cognitive, visual, motor, or other impairment not accommodated by the study procedures.
• Currently enrolled in another smoking-cessation intervention study that would conflict with study participation.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of South Carolina: lead

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Cigarette Smoking; Smoking Cessation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Tobacco Smoking; Smoking; Behavior; Tobacco Use; Health Behavior

Central Study Contacts

Amanda L Rebar, PhD

CONTACT

5822030147; arebar@mailbox.sc.edu

Desiree Vidana-Perez, PhD

CONTACT

839-201-7629; desireev@mailbox.sc.edu

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Primary Investigator

Model Details: Participants complete the EMA Observation, Non-Adaptive EMI, and Adaptive EMI phases in sequence.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 15, 2026
• First Posted: October 1, 2026
• Study Start: September 20, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): January 1, 2027
• Study Completion (Estimated): September 1, 2027
• Last Updated: October 1, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share