NCT04909320

Mobile-based Positive Psychological Support for Smoking Cessation Via "Quit to Win" Contest 2021 (QTW 2021)

Building Capacity and Promoting Smoking Cessation in the Community Via "Quit to Win" Contest 2021: Mobile-based Positive Psychological Support on Smoking Cessation

• Status: Unknown
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 1,094 (estimated)
• Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

This study aims to explore the effectiveness of a combined intervention using brief cessation advice and personalized chat-based positive psychological support compared with the control group on current smokers who join the Quit to Win Contest.

Detailed description

Smoking is a leading cause of many diseases and deaths globally. Although Hong Kong has a relatively low overall smoking rate of 10.2% (in 2019), health and economic burdens due to smoking are still substantial. The practice of smoking might predispose smokers to COVID-19 infection and poor prognosis. Growing evidence has also suggested that smokers are at higher risk of developing serious respiratory and cardiovascular symptoms in the COVID-19 pandemic than non-smokers. Smoking cessation in the post-COVID-19 era is the key priority to meet the HKSAR Government's target of reducing smoking prevalence to 7.8% by 2025. Mental health problems are commonly comorbid with smoking and related problems. Our population-based survey amidst the COVID-19 pandemic found current smokers were at higher risk of suffering from anxious symptoms (adjusted OR 1.84 95% CI 1.27, 2.67), depressive symptoms (adjusted OR 2.04 95% CI 1.40, 2.96), and stress symptoms (adjusted β 0.54 95% CI 0.26, 0.82) compared with non-smokers. We also observed mental health burden increased during the COVID-19 pandemic with approximately doubling of the prevalence of anxious symptoms (15.8 vs. 9.3) and depressive symptoms (14.8 vs. 6.3) compared with the pre-COVID-19 pandemic (2017). Mental health can be both precursors and consequences of smoking. Previous studies have suggested that depressive symptoms and low positive affect during and after SC attempts are associated with poor cessation outcomes. This implies that a combined intervention of behavioral and psychological SC intervention is needed, particularly under the circumstance of worsening mental health problems. Therefore, our study aims to test the effectiveness of a combined intervention using brief cessation advice and personalized chat-based positive psychological support compared with the control group on current smokers who join the Quit to Win Contest.

Conditions

• Smoking Cessation

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
BEHAVIORAL	AWARD advice	Ask about smoking history; Warn about the high risk; Advise to quit; Refer smokers to smoking cessation services (with a referral card); Do it again
OTHER	Brief leaflet on health warning and smoking cessation	The contents of the leaflet include (1) highlights of the absolute risk of death due to smoking; (2) the whole list of diseases caused by active and second-hand smoking; (3) ten horrible pictorial warnings of health consequences of smoking and second-hand smoking in one page to maximize the impacts; (4) benefits of SC and (5) simple messages to encourage participants to quit smoking and remind them to call the Department of Health SC hotline [phone].
OTHER	Referral card	The contents consist of brief information and highlights of existing SC services, contact methods, motivation information, and strong supporting messages or slogans.
OTHER	Self-help smoking cessation booklet	The contents include information about the benefits of quitting, smoking and diseases, methods to quit, how to handle withdrawal symptoms, declaration of quitting, etc.
BEHAVIORAL	Positive psychological support through 3-people group chat using instant messaging apps	Each IM chat group will consist of a trained SC counselor (HKU staff), a peer supporter (former smoker), and a participant (smoker). The 3-month group chat-based intervention will consist of regular messages and real-time support through group chat. Regular messages will generally include goal setting, health warnings, abstinence support, positive psychological exercises, and encouragement and will be delivered in a tapering style. During the real-time chatting, SC counsellors and peer supporters will provide real-time chat-based support, and peer supporters will share their quitting experience as appropriate.
BEHAVIORAL	E-messages via SMS	Regular e-messages via SMS at twice per month within 3 months (total 6).

Timeline

• Start date: 2021-06-12
• Primary completion: 2022-06-30
• Completion: 2023-06-30
• First posted: 2021-06-01
• Last updated: 2022-08-17

Locations

1 site across 1 country: China