Smoking Cessation, Mobile Health
Conditions
Keywords
Metaphor-based intervention, Smoking cessation, Tobacco use
Brief summary
This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness and participant experiences of a WeChat-delivered, metaphor-based smoking cessation intervention.
Detailed description
This randomized controlled trial evaluates a WeChat-delivered, metaphor-based smoking cessation intervention. Participants in the intervention group will receive staged cessation messages that use metaphors to explain smoking urges, nicotine dependence, behavior change, coping strategies, and relapse prevention. The intervention will also include self-monitoring, personalized feedback, and a personalized journey map to help participants recognize their progress during the cessation process. Participants in the control group will receive brief smoking cessation advice. The study will compare the two groups in terms of smoking cessation outcomes. It will also assess participants' perceptions of the intervention, including the usefulness and comprehensibility of the metaphors, willingness to engage with the intervention, immersion in the cessation process, perceived support, and overall satisfaction.
Interventions
BEHAVIORALMetaphor-based smoking cessation intervention
Participants will receive a 100-day, WeChat-delivered smoking cessation intervention using metaphors such as "fog" and "restart" to describe smoking urges, nicotine dependence, and the process of behavior change. The intervention will provide staged messages on smoking-trigger identification, self-monitoring, action planning, coping strategies, environmental modification, social support, and relapse prevention, together with personalized feedback and a personalized journey map to help participants review their cessation experiences and progress.
BEHAVIORAL5A's/5R's advice
The 5A's approach (Ask, Advise, Assess, Assist, and Arrange) will be used for participants who are ready to quit, and the 5R's approach (Relevance, Risks, Rewards, Roadblocks, and Repetition) will be used for participants who are not ready to quit.
The health warning leaflet provides essential information on the dangers of secondhand and thirdhand smoke. It outlines how exposure to these forms of smoke can harm both smokers and non-smokers, particularly children, by increasing the risk of respiratory illnesses and other health issues.
Sponsors
Beijing Normal University
Study design
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
HEALTH_SERVICES_RESEARCH
Masking
SINGLE (Outcomes Assessor)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
No
Inclusion criteria
1. aged 18 and above, reside in Zhuhai for the next 6 months; 2. smoke at least 1 cigarette or use e-cigarettes daily; 3. Having a smartphone and a WeChat account, being able to use WeChat skillfully.
Exclusion criteria
1. Smokers who have communication barrier (either physically or cognitively); 2. Smokers who are currently participating in other SC programmes or services
Design outcomes
Primary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemical validated quit rate at 6 months follow-up | 6 months follow-up | The primary outcomes are biochemically validated quit rate (exhaled carbon monoxide \< 4 ppm or salivary cotinine \< 30 ng/ml) |
Secondary
| Measure | Time frame | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemical validated quit rate at 3 months follow-up | 3 months follow-up | biochemically validated quit rate (exhaled carbon monoxide \< 4 ppm or salivary cotinine \< 30 ng/ml) |
| Self-reported 7-day point prevalence quit rate | 3 and 6 months follow-up | Self-reported 7-day point prevalence quit rate in the two groups |
| Smoking reduction rate | 3 and 6 months follow-up | Rate of smoking reduction by at least half of baseline amount in the two groups |
| Eligibility rate | baseline | the percentage of eligible smokers out of the total number of smokers screened |
| Consent rate | baseline | the percentage of eligible smokers who agree to participate out of the total number of eligible smokers |
| Intervention Engagement | 3 months follow-up | Participants' engagement with the intervention, including self-reported reading of WeChat cessation messages, interaction with the health assistant, and viewing of the personalized journey map. |
| Perceived Usefulness of Metaphors | 3 months follow-up | Participants' perceived usefulness of the metaphors used in the intervention, assessed using a researcher-developed 7-point Likert-type agreement scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicate greater perceived usefulness of the metaphors.Responses will be assessed using a 7-point Likert scale. |
| Narrative Engagement in the Smoking Cessation Journey | 3 months follow-up | Participants' engagement with the journey-based intervention, including whether the staged challenge design increased their motivation to persist, whether they were interested in subsequent stages, and whether they felt immersed in the smoking cessation journey. Responses will be assessed using a researcher-developed 7-point Likert-type agreement scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). Higher scores indicate greater engagement with the journey-based intervention. |
Countries
China
Contacts
CONTACTXue Weng
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORXue Weng
Beijing Normal University
Outcome results
None listed