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WeChat Quit Coach Pilot Study

Not Applicable
Completed
Conditions
Smoking Cessation
Interventions
Behavioral: WeChat Quit Coach
Behavioral: Leaflet
Drug: Optional Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Patches or Lozenges
Registration Number
NCT05130788
Lead Sponsor
NYU Langone Health
Brief Summary

The study team will develop and assess the feasibility and acceptability of a WeChat-based peer-group mobile messaging smoking cessation intervention targeting Chinese immigrant smokers in New York City (NYC). For Aim 1, the study team will develop a message library for the WeChat Quit Coach smoking cessation program and conduct in-depth interviews with 20 Chinese immigrant smokers in person to assess content relevance. For Aim 2, a two-arm, open-labeled, pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) will be conducted to test the feasibility and acceptability of the WeChat Quit Coach intervention among 60 Chinese immigrant smokers. Participants will be randomized to intervention (n=40) or control group (n=20). Participants in the intervention group will receive a 6-week WeChat Quit Coach intervention through WeChat private group. Participants in the control group will receive a leaflet with information about existing smoking cessation programs that focus on Chinese American smokers. All the 60 participants will be offered a 4-week supple of nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches and/or lozenges. Participants will complete a baseline in-person survey at enrollment, a 6-week follow-up phone survey immediately after the intervention, and a 6-month follow-up phone survey. Biochemical test (exhaled carbon monoxide test) will be conducted to confirm abstinence among those who report no smoking in past 7-day at 6-week and 6-month follow-up surveys. Post-test in-depth interviews will be conducted with at least 20 participants in person from the intervention group at 6-week follow-up to obtain more information about the usability and perceptions about the WeChat Quit Coach program. For Aim 3, the investigators will conduct an open-labeled, 3-arm pilot RCT to test the preliminary effectiveness of the WeChat Quit Coach intervention with 90 Chinese immigrant smokers. Participants will be randomized to one of the three groups, including a 6-week intervention group A (IA; n = 30), a 12-week intervention group B (IB; n = 30), and a control group (n = 30). Participants in the intervention groups will either receive a 6-week (IA) or 12-week (IB) WeChat Quit Coach intervention through WeChat private groups. Participants in the control group will receive a leaflet with information of existing smoking cessation programs targeting Chinese American smokers. All 90 participants will be offered a 4-week free supply of NRT patches and/or lozenges. Participants will complete a baseline phone survey at enrollment, 12-week and 6-month follow-up phone surveys. A remote biochemical validation (saliva cotinine test) will be conducted at 12-week and 6-month follow-up to confirm smoking abstinence among those who self-report no smoking in the past 7 days. Post-test in-depth phone interviews will be conducted with up to 30 intervention participants to obtain more information about their perceptions and experience with the WeChat Quit Coach program.

Detailed Description

Not available

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status
COMPLETED
Sex
All
Target Recruitment
150
Inclusion Criteria

Aim 2:

  • Age 18-80 years
  • Chinese immigrant
  • Have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in a lifetime
  • Smoke ≥3 days per week
  • Be somewhat interested in quitting smoking
  • Has a Smartphone
  • Current WeChat user who uses WeChat on ≥3 days per week
  • Live in NYC
  • Can read and speak Chinese
  • Be able to provide consent

Aim 3:

  • Age 18 years or above
  • Chinese immigrant
  • Have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in a lifetime
  • Smoke ≥1 days per week
  • Current WeChat user who uses WeChat on ≥3 days per week
  • Can read and speak Chinese
Exclusion Criteria

Aim 2:

  • Current participation in other smoking cessation treatment program(s)
  • Be pregnant or breastfeeding

Aim 3:

  • Current participation in other smoking cessation treatment program(s)
  • Be pregnant or breastfeeding
  • Having a household member who has enrolled in this study

Study & Design

Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Study Design
PARALLEL
Arm && Interventions
GroupInterventionDescription
Intervention Group AOptional Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Patches or LozengesParticipants will be assigned to a 6-week intervention period.
Control GroupOptional Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Patches or Lozenges-
Intervention Group AWeChat Quit CoachParticipants will be assigned to a 6-week intervention period.
Intervention Group BOptional Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Patches or LozengesParticipants will be assigned to a 12-week intervention period.
Control GroupLeaflet-
Intervention Group BWeChat Quit CoachParticipants will be assigned to a 12-week intervention period.
Primary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
WeChat Program Participant Satisfaction ScoreUp to Week 6 Follow-Up

A 5-point Likert scale will be used to report satisfaction. The total range in score is 1-5; the higher the score, the higher the satisfaction. Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Number of Participants Who Ask Self-Composed QuestionsUp to Week 6 Follow-Up

Measure of engagement. Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Number of Participants Who Respond to Daily Text QuestionsUp to Week 6 Follow-Up

Measure of engagement. Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Self-Reported 7-Day Point Prevalence Abstinence Rate at Month 6Month 6 Follow-Up

Participants are asked whether they smoked cigarettes in the past 7 days. Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Secondary Outcome Measures
NameTimeMethod
Number of Quit Attempts at Week 6Week 6 Follow-Up

Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Average Daily Cigarette Consumption at Week 6Week 6 Follow-Up

Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Average Daily Cigarette Consumption at Week 12Week 12 Follow-Up

Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Biochemically-Confirmed 7-Day Point Prevalence Abstinence Rate at Week 6Week 6 Follow-Up

Participants are asked whether they smoked cigarettes in the past 7 days. Biochemical test (exhaled carbon monoxide test) will be conducted to confirm abstinence among those who report no smoking in past 7 days. Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Self-Efficacy for Quitting Smoking Score at Week 12Week 12 Follow-Up

12-item questionnaire asking participants to indicate to what extent that they are sure that they could refrain from smoking in certain situations. Each item is ranked on a scale from 1 (Not at all sure) to 5 (Absolutely sure). The total score ranges from 12-60; higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy in quitting smoking. Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Self-Efficacy for Quitting Smoking Score at Month 6Month 6 Follow-Up

12-item questionnaire asking participants to indicate to what extent that they are sure that they could refrain from smoking in certain situations. Each item is ranked on a scale from 1 (Not at all sure) to 5 (Absolutely sure). The total score ranges from 12-60; higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy in quitting smoking.

Number of Participants With Progression on Stage of Change for Smoking Cessation at Week 12Week 12 Follow-Up

The 5 stages of change are: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Progression defined as moving from an early stage to an advanced stage (e.g., from pre-contemplation to contemplation, or contemplation to preparation stage). Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Number of Participants With Progression on Stage of Change for Smoking Cessation at Month 6Month 6 Follow-Up

The 5 stages of change are: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Progression defined as moving from an early stage to an advanced stage (e.g., from pre-contemplation to contemplation, or contemplation to preparation stage). Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Number of Quit Attempts at Week 12Week 12 Follow-Up

Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Number of Quit Attempts at Month 6Month 6 Follow-Up
Average Daily Cigarette Consumption at Month 6Month 6 Follow-Up
Self-Reported 7-Day Point Prevalence Abstinence Rate at Week 6Week 6 Follow-Up

Participants are asked whether they smoked cigarettes in the past 7 days. Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Self-Reported 7-Day Point Prevalence Abstinence Rate at Week 12Week 12 Follow-Up

Participants are asked whether they smoked cigarettes in the past 7 days. Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Self-Reported 7-Day Point Prevalence Abstinence Rate at Month 6 - Aim 2Month 6 Follow-Up

Participants are asked whether they smoked cigarettes in the past 7 days. Measured Among Aim 2 participants only.

Biochemically-Confirmed 7-Day Point Prevalence Abstinence Rate at Week 12Week 12 Follow-Up

Participants are asked whether they smoked cigarettes in the past 7 days. Biochemical test (exhaled carbon monoxide test) will be conducted to confirm abstinence among those who report no smoking in past 7 days. Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Number of Participants With Progression on Stage of Change for Smoking Cessation at Week 6Week 6 Follow-Up

The 5 stages of change are: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, and maintenance. Progression defined as moving from an early stage to an advanced stage (e.g., from pre-contemplation to contemplation, or contemplation to preparation stage). Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Biochemically-Confirmed 7-Day Point Prevalence Abstinence Rate at Month 6Month 6 Follow-Up

Participants are asked whether they smoked cigarettes in the past 7 days. Biochemical test (exhaled carbon monoxide test) will be conducted to confirm abstinence among those who report no smoking in past 7 days.

Average Score or Knowledge About Harms of Smoking at Week 6Week 6 Follow-Up

Participants are asked 5 questions on knowledge of the harms of smoking. The total range in the knowledge score is 0-5; the higher the score, the higher the knowledge level. Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Average Score or Knowledge About Harms of Smoking at Week 12Week 12 Follow-Up

Participants are asked 5 questions on knowledge of the harms of smoking. The total range in the knowledge score is 0-5; the higher the score, the higher the knowledge level. Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Self-Efficacy for Quitting Smoking Score at Week 6Week 6 Follow-Up

12-item questionnaire asking participants to indicate to what extent that they are sure that they could refrain from smoking in certain situations. Each item is ranked on a scale from 1 (Not at all sure) to 5 (Absolutely sure). The total score ranges from 12-60; higher scores indicate greater self-efficacy in quitting smoking. Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Number of Participants who Report NRT Use During Intervention Period at Week 6Week 6 Follow-Up

Measured among Aim 2 participants only.

Number of Participants who Report NRT Use During Intervention Period at Week 12Week 12 Follow-Up

Measured among Aim 3 participants only.

Number of Participants who Report NRT Use During Intervention Period at Month 6Month 6 Follow-Up

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

NYU Langone Health

🇺🇸

New York, New York, United States

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