Optimizing Risk Messages for Waterpipe Tobacco Cessation in Young Adults

Not Applicable

Completed

Conditions: Hookah Smoking

Interventions: Behavioral: Hookah tobacco risk messages

Registration Number: NCT03595280

Lead Sponsor: Georgetown University

Brief Summary: The objective of this study is to examine whether messages conveying the harms and addictiveness of waterpipe (i.e., hookah) tobacco delivered by mobile phone multimedia messaging (MMS) are effective for promoting hookah tobacco cessation among young adults ages 18 to 30 years.

Detailed Description: The purpose of this study is to test the effects of messages communicating the risks (i.e., health harms, addictiveness) of hookah tobacco delivered via mobile multimedia messaging for promoting hookah tobacco cessation. The study will also compare two messaging approaches, a standard untailored approach where all participants receive the same message content, and a tailored messaging approach where message content is personalized to baseline measures of hookah tobacco use behavior and beliefs and interactively to exchanges that occur via mobile messaging sent and received during the exposure period. The study includes young adults ages 18 to 30 who are current hookah tobacco smokers. Eligible participants are young adults ages 18 to 30 years who have smoked hookah tobacco at least once in the past month, smoke hookah tobacco on at least a monthly basis, and have access to the internet and a personal mobile phone to complete study procedures. Study participants will complete a baseline survey online, and all participants will receive standard information about the risks of hookah tobacco. Then participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: control group, untailored message group, tailored message group. Participants in the untailored and tailored message group will receive messages sent to their mobile phones communicating the risks of hookah tobacco for a 6 week period. All participants will complete follow-up surveys online 6 weeks after baseline, 3 months later, and 6 months later.

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: COMPLETED

Sex: All

Target Recruitment: 349

Inclusion Criteria

Age between 18 and 30
Smoked hookah tobacco within the last 30 days and smokes hookah tobacco on at least a monthly basis
Has access the internet to complete study procedures
Has personal mobile phone to complete study procedures

Exclusion Criteria

Age less than 18 or greater than 30
Has not smoked hookah tobacco in the last 30 days or does not smoke hookah tobacco on at least a monthly basis
Does not have access to the internet to complete study procedures
Does not have a personal mobile phone to complete study procedures

Study & Design

Study Type: INTERVENTIONAL

Study Design: PARALLEL

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Untailored Messages	Hookah tobacco risk messages	Participants in the untailored message group receive mobile multimedia service messages conveying the risks of hookah tobacco on their mobile phones.
Tailored Messages	Hookah tobacco risk messages	Participants in the tailored message group receive mobile multimedia service messages conveying the risks of hookah tobacco on their mobile phones that are personalized to their hookah tobacco use behavior and beliefs.

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Perceived Addictiveness	6-months	Perceived addictiveness of hookah tobacco is measured using valid self-report item assessing perceptions of how likely one is to become addicted to hookah tobacco (1 = no chance, 7 = certain to happen). Greater perceived likelihood of addictiveness is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up data reported.
Motivation to Quit	6-months	Motivation to quit is measured using a valid self-report item assessing how much participants want to quit smoking hookah tobacco right now (1 = Not at all, 7 = Very). Greater motivation to quit is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3 month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up reported.
Worry About Addictiveness	6 months	Worry about the addictiveness of hookah tobacco is measured using a valid self-report item assessing how much participants worry about becoming addicted to hookah tobacco (1 = Not at all, 7 = very much). Greater perceived addictiveness is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3 month follow-up, and 6 month-follow-up, 6 month follow-up reported.
Worry About Harm	6-months	Worry about the harms of hookah tobacco is measured using a valid self-report item assessing how much participants worry about the risks of hookah tobacco (1 = Not at all, 7 = Very much). Greater worry about harm is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up reported.
Percent of Participants Who Quit Smoking Hookah Tobacco	6 months	Hookah tobacco cessation is measured using a single valid self-report item assessing if participants have stopped smoking hookah tobacco completely. The item asks if participants have completely stopped smoking hookah tobacco based on a yes/no response. Quitting hookah tobacco use (i.e., responses of "yes") is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post intervention, 3 month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up data reported.
Perceived Harm	6-months	Perceived harm of hookah tobacco is measured using valid self-report item assessing perceptions of how likely harms are to occur from hookah tobacco use (response range 1 no chance to 7 certain to happen). Greater perceived likelihood of harm is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up, 6 month follow-up data reported.
Hookah Tobacco Use Frequency	6 months	Hookah tobacco use frequency is measured using a valid self-report item assessing how often participants have smoked hookah tobacco in the past 30 days. The item measures the number of days in the past month participants have smoked hookah tobacco. Less frequent hookah tobacco use is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3 month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up reported.