Mobile Chat Messaging for Smoking Relapse Prevention
- Conditions
- Smoking Cessation
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Standard smoking cessation treatmentBehavioral: Personalised chat messagingBehavioral: SMS text messaging
- Registration Number
- NCT05370352
- Lead Sponsor
- The University of Hong Kong
- Brief Summary
Most smokers return to smoking (relapse) after making a quit attempt, but evidence of effective intervention to prevent relapse is scarce. Taking advantage of recent advances in mobile technologies, this study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile chat messaging-based relapse prevention intervention in promoting successful quitting in people who recently quit smoking (recent abstainers) using a randomised controlled trial design.
- Detailed Description
Most smokers who made quit attempts and achieved short-term abstinence return to smoking (relapse) over time, even when aided by effective smoking cessation treatment. Since relapse mostly occurred in the first 4 weeks of abstinence, relapse prevention in the early phase of abstinence could potentially boost long-term abstinence. Several behavioural interventions for smoking relapse prevention have been proposed and tested in RCTs. Yet, a 2019 Cochrane review did not find traditional approaches, including self-help materials, telephone counselling and group therapy, effective in increasing long-term abstinence at 6 months or longer.
The widespread use of mobile devices has provided a highly accessible and scalable means for novel behavioural interventions for smoking cessation. A formative qualitative study in current smokers conducted by the investigators showed that mobile chat messaging is a feasible and acceptable platform for delivering smoking cessation support. A subsequent cluster randomised controlled trial on 1148 smokers found that mobile chat messaging combined with brief intervention was effective in increasing biochemically validated abstinence at 6 months. Nonetheless, whether mobile chat messaging could prevent relapse in recent abstainers has remained untested.
The investigators did a pilot trial to confirm the feasibility and acceptability of mobile chat messaging for relapse prevention in recent abstainers. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of mobile chat messaging relapse prevention intervention in promoting abstinence in recent abstainers.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- ACTIVE_NOT_RECRUITING
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 590
- Hong Kong residents aged 18 years or above
- Own a smartphone with WhatsApp installed
- Enrolled in a smoking cessation program under Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Integrated Centre on Smoking Cessation
- Smoked daily before the present quit attempt
- Abstained from smoking for 3 to 30 days
- Diagnosed with a mental disease or on regular psychotropic drugs
- Participating in other ongoing smoking cessation studies
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- PARALLEL
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Mobile chat messaging Standard smoking cessation treatment Standard smoking cessation treatment + Personalised chat messaging Mobile chat messaging Personalised chat messaging Standard smoking cessation treatment + Personalised chat messaging SMS messaging SMS text messaging Standard smoking cessation treatment + Regular SMS text messaging generic information about the harms of smoking and the benefits of quitting SMS messaging Standard smoking cessation treatment Standard smoking cessation treatment + Regular SMS text messaging generic information about the harms of smoking and the benefits of quitting
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Biochemically validated tobacco abstinence 6 months after randomisation Verified by an exhaled carbon monoxide level of lower than 5 parts per million or a negative salivary cotinine test
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Biochemically validated tobacco abstinence 12 months after randomisation Verified by an exhaled carbon monoxide level of lower than 5 parts per million or a negative salivary cotinine test
Self-reported 6-month prolonged tobacco abstinence 6 months after randomisation Not more than five lapses permitted for 6 months after baseline
Self-reported 7-day point prevalent tobacco abstinence 12 months after randomisation Being completely smoke-free in the past 7 days
Self-reported relapse rate 12 months after randomisation Defined as use of tobacco products for 7 consecutive days or longer
Self-reported 12-month prolonged tobacco abstinence 12 months after randomisation Not more than five lapses permitted for 12 months after baseline
Trial Locations
- Locations (2)
Tung Wah Group of Hospitals Integrated Centre on Smoking Cessation
ðŸ‡ðŸ‡°Hong Kong, Hong Kong
United Christian Nethersole Community Health Service Smoking Cessation Programme
ðŸ‡ðŸ‡°Hong Kong, Hong Kong