Personalized Support Using Instant Messaging Applications to Increase Smoking Cessation

Summary

This study aims to assess the effect of personalized support using instant messaging application on smoking cessation in smokers proactively recruited from smoking hotspots in Hong Kong.

Conditions

• Smoking Cessation

Interventions

BEHAVIORAL

AWARD advice

At baseline, brief smoking cessation advice following AWARD model will be delivered to subjects within about 2 to 5 minutes: * Ask about smoking history and habit * Warn about the risks of smoking using a leaflet * Advise to quit smoking as soon as possible and use nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) or SC services * Refer subjects to free smoking cessation services in Hong Kong if they agree * Do it again: smokers who have tried to quit but relapsed will be encouraged to quit again and those who have reduced smoking will be advised to further reduce or quit smoking

BEHAVIORAL

Health warning leaflet

At baseline, an A5-sized leaflet will be given to subjects, which includes information about risks of smoking, pictures of smoking-related diseases, and smoking cessation services provided in Hong Kong.

BEHAVIORAL

Active referral to smoking cessation (SC) services

At baseline, subjects will be encouraged to seek smoking cessation services in Hong Kong. If subjects agree, their contact information will be sent to the preferred service providers for a quick appointment and follow-up.

BEHAVIORAL

Regular messages through Instant Messaging (IM)

A total of pre-set 26 messages will be sent to subjects through WhatsApp 12 weeks after baseline to remind the quit date and to encourage abstinence. Messages are tailored based on subjects' sociodemographic characteristics and smoking habit following Social Cognitive Theory and Transtheoretical Model. Messages will be sent with the schedule of once daily for 1 week (the week across the quit date), 3 times a week for 4 weeks (2 weeks each before and after the week with quit date) and once a week for remaining 7 weeks. The schedule will be adjusted according to the quit date and also smokers' requests. The format of regular messages will mainly be text-based but also include pictures, animations and videos.

BEHAVIORAL

Psychosocial support and referral to SC services through IM

Personalized interactive text or voice conversation will be provided by trained smoking cessation advisors through WhatsApp for 3 months after baseline. Advisors will periodically proactively send messages to subjects to initiate the conversation (e.g. asking recent progress of smoking cessation) and deliver evidence-based advice. Advisors will also actively refer subjects, if they have expressed the need, to smoking cessation services providers. A standard operation algorithm for advisors used in the pilot feasibility trial will be modified for the use.

BEHAVIORAL

Message on general health delivered by short message service (SMS)

After baseline, regular messages using SMS will be sent to subjects with similar frequency to Intervention group. The messages include information on general health and reminders on follow-up surveys and biochemical validation for quitting.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong

  lead OTHER

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

TRIPLE

Model

PARALLEL

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Sex

ALL

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2018-12-15

Primary Completion

2020-12-31

Completion

2020-12-31

Countries

• Hong Kong

Study Locations