Media Literacy + Text Messaging Support + Financial Incentives for Smoking Cessation

Recruiting at 1 trial location

Overseen By Tzeyu Michaud, PhD

Age: 18 - 65

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: University of Nebraska

Disqualifiers: Pregnancy, Vaping programs, others

No Placebo Group All trial participants will receive the active study treatment (no placebo)

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 2

80 Participants Needed

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

This study aims to evaluate the feasibility and compare the preliminary effect of vaping cessation program consisting of media literacy education and real-time text messaging support and leverage insights from behavioral economics to enhance social and financial incentives to improve program engagement, and eventually abstinence. Our hypotheses are that 1) the Combined arm is associated with improved vaping abstinence to the Media literacy and Financial incentive arms; and 2) the financial incentive-related arms (either Combined or Financial incentive) enhance engagement compared to the non-incentive related arms.

Do I have to stop taking my current medications to join the trial?

The trial protocol does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

Will I have to stop taking my current medications?

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications.

What data supports the idea that Media Literacy + Text Messaging Support + Financial Incentives for Smoking Cessation is an effective treatment?

The available research shows that text messaging programs are effective for helping people quit smoking and vaping. For example, the 'Quit the Vape' program, which uses automated text messages, has shown promise in helping people stop using e-cigarettes. Additionally, the 'QuitTxt' program, which provides interactive text messaging advice, has been found helpful by users in quitting smoking. These studies suggest that combining media literacy, text messaging support, and financial incentives can be an effective way to help people quit smoking and vaping. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What data supports the effectiveness of the treatment Media Literacy + Text Messaging Support + Financial Incentives for Smoking Cessation?

Research shows that text messaging programs are promising for helping people quit e-cigarettes, and adding live counseling can make them more engaging. Mobile phone text messaging has been effective in smoking cessation, providing tailored support to help people quit. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

What safety data exists for the smoking cessation treatment using media literacy, text messaging, and financial incentives?

The safety data for this treatment approach is limited, but existing studies suggest it is feasible and acceptable. A study on a financial-incentive intervention for vaping abstinence in young adults found it to be well-received and effective in promoting short-term abstinence, with participants attending all scheduled sessions and rating the intervention favorably. Text messaging interventions for smoking cessation have been shown to be promising and scalable, with programs like SmokefreeTXT providing insights into participant engagement and cessation outcomes. However, specific safety data is not detailed in the available research. ^{3 4 6 7 8}

Is the combination of media literacy, text messaging support, and financial incentives for smoking cessation safe for humans?

The studies on text messaging and financial incentives for smoking and vaping cessation suggest these methods are generally safe for humans, as they focus on behavior change without introducing physical risks. ^{3 4 6 7 8}

Is the Vaping cessation program a promising treatment?

Yes, the Vaping cessation program is promising because text messaging is a scalable and effective way to help people quit vaping, similar to how it helps with smoking cessation. ^{2 3 4 9 10}

What makes the Media Literacy + Text Messaging Support + Financial Incentives treatment for vaping cessation unique?

This treatment is unique because it combines media literacy education, which helps individuals critically analyze and understand media messages about vaping, with text messaging support and financial incentives to encourage quitting. This multi-faceted approach is novel compared to traditional methods, as it leverages technology and financial motivation to enhance engagement and effectiveness. ^{2 3 4 9 10}

Research Team

Tzeyu Michaud, PhD

Principal Investigator

University of Nebraska

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for young adults aged 19-29 who have been vaping regularly for at least 6 months, want to quit, and have asthma. They must be able to access internet or text messaging services but can't use other nicotine products or already be in a quitting program.

Inclusion Criteria

Report vaping in the previous 30 days

Have access to internet/video chat/SMS text message

I am between 19 and 29 years old.

Exclusion Criteria

I am currently participating in a program to stop vaping.

Self-report as currently pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next 3 months

Timeline

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Quitting Preparation

Participants prepare for quitting vaping with support from text-messaging and media literacy e-learning lessons

4 weeks

1 visit (in-person), multiple virtual interactions

Abstinence

Participants attempt to maintain vaping abstinence with continued support and financial incentives for some groups

8 weeks

1 visit (in-person), 3 remote saliva submissions

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for vaping abstinence and engagement with the program

4 weeks

Treatment Details

Interventions

• Financial incentive
• Media literacy
• Social support
• Text-massaging support
• Vaping cessation program

Trial Overview The study tests if combining media literacy education with real-time texting support and financial rewards helps people stop vaping better than just one of these methods alone. Participants will either get the combined approach or just one part of it.

Participant Groups

Group I: Combined Experimental Treatment 3 Interventions

Participants will receive media literacy e-learning lessons, financial incentive, and an evidence-based text-messaging support program.

Group II: Active control Experimental Treatment 1 Intervention

Participants in this arm will receive an evidence-based text-messaging support.

Group III: Financial incentive Active Control 2 Interventions

Participants will receive financial incentive intervention and an evidence-based text-messaging support.

Group IV: Media literacy Active Control 2 Interventions

Participants will receive media literacy e-learning lessons and an evidence-based text-messaging support.

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

University of Nebraska

Lead Sponsor

Trials

563

Recruited

1,147,000+

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS)

Collaborator

Trials

315

Recruited

251,000+

Findings from Research

The Quit the Vape (QTV) program, which includes automated text messaging for e-cigarette cessation, showed high engagement and satisfaction among participants, with over 85% responding to messages and 55.6% reporting satisfaction compared to only 17.7% in the control group.

Adding live text counseling (QTV-C) appeared to enhance quitting outcomes, with 27.8% of participants achieving 7-day point prevalence abstinence, compared to 11.1% for QTV alone and 5.9% for the control group, suggesting that this combination may be more effective for e-cigarette cessation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A pilot randomized controlled trial of automated and counselor-delivered text messages for e-cigarette cessation. Krishnan, N., Berg, CJ., Le, D., et al.[2023]

In a study involving 924 smokers using the QuitTxt program, most participants (68.9%) preferred the default messaging frequency of 4-8 texts per day, and the median duration of use was 27 days, indicating a generally positive reception of the program.

Despite some users not fully reporting their quit status, many still found QuitTxt helpful, suggesting that consistent reporting may not be crucial for the program's effectiveness in supporting smoking cessation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How do smokers use a smoking cessation text messaging intervention? Balmford, J., Borland, R.[2018]

The study evaluates the effectiveness of a text message program called 'This is Quitting' for helping young adults (ages 18-24) quit vaping, with a primary outcome of 30-day abstinence measured 7 months after enrollment.

Initial results from a pilot sample of 269 participants showed that 16.2% of those using the text message intervention achieved abstinence compared to 8.3% in the control group, indicating a promising potential for this intervention in promoting vaping cessation among young adults.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of a Quit Vaping Text Message Program in Promoting Abstinence Among Young Adult E-Cigarette Users: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. Graham, AL., Jacobs, MA., Amato, MS., et al.[2020]

In a study involving 31 college smokers, 45% reported quitting smoking after six weeks of using a mobile phone text messaging program designed to support smoking cessation.

The program not only helped many participants quit but also significantly reduced smoking rates and dependence among those who continued smoking, demonstrating its potential effectiveness for young adult smokers.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Internet and mobile phone text messaging intervention for college smokers. Riley, W., Obermayer, J., Jean-Mary, J.[2022]

Television quit smoking programs are increasingly being used as a medium to promote smoking cessation, with various features like timing, content, and cost-effectiveness being explored.

Despite the innovative approaches to using TV for smoking cessation, there has been limited thorough assessment of the actual impact these programs have on viewers' smoking behaviors.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Smoking and television: review of extant literature. Danaher, BG., Berkanovic, E., Gerber, B.[2019]

A study involving 8 college students demonstrated that a remotely delivered intervention using financial incentives effectively helped all participants quit vaping nicotine within 2 weeks.

Participants preferred the iScreen cotinine tests over NicAlert for monitoring vaping abstinence, indicating a potential for easier implementation in future interventions.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a remotely delivered, financial-incentive intervention to initiate vaping abstinence in young adults. Raiff, BR., Newman, ST., Upton, CR., et al.[2022]

In a study of 1418 adolescents over a 3-month mobile phone-delivered smoking cessation program, three engagement trajectories were identified: stable engagement (45.6%), decreasing engagement (35.3%), and stable nonengagement (19.1%).

While stable engagement was linked to younger age and perceived benefits of quitting, decreasing engagement was associated with greater reductions in daily tobacco use, suggesting that even reduced participation can indicate positive behavioral change.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Engagement Within a Mobile Phone-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention for Adolescents and its Association With Participant Characteristics and Outcomes. Paz Castro, R., Haug, S., Filler, A., et al.[2019]

In a study of 18,080 adults using the SmokefreeTXT program, over half completed the 42-day smoking cessation treatment, with a 12.9% abstinence rate among those who finished the program.

The study revealed that while initial engagement was promising, long-term abstinence rates dropped significantly, highlighting the need for improved participant retention strategies and support at critical time points to enhance smoking cessation success.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Analysing user-reported data for enhancement of SmokefreeTXT: a national text message smoking cessation intervention. Augustson, E., Cole-Lewis, H., Sanders, A., et al.[2018]

In a study of 6215 adults using the SmokefreeTXT program for smoking cessation, factors such as younger age, female sex, and higher nicotine dependence were linked to a higher likelihood of opting out of the program, indicating that these characteristics may affect retention rates.

Users who were around other smokers or had lower intentions to quit were also more likely to disengage early, suggesting that tailored support for these individuals could improve retention and enhance the effectiveness of text messaging interventions for smoking cessation.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Predictors of Retention in an Adult Text Messaging Smoking Cessation Intervention Program: Cohort Study. Wiseman, KP., Coa, KI., Prutzman, YM.[2023]

The study aims to enhance adherence to a web-based smoking cessation program by integrating a text messaging intervention, focusing on four key features: personalisation, integration, dynamic tailoring, and message intensity, with 860 adult smokers participating in the initial phase.

In the second phase, 600 adult smokers will be randomly assigned to either the web-based program alone or the program combined with the optimized text messaging intervention, with the goal of measuring the impact on smoking cessation rates after 9 months.

NCBI (Pubmed)

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimising text messaging to improve adherence to web-based smoking cessation treatment: a randomised control trial protocol. Graham, AL., Jacobs, MA., Cohn, AM., et al.[2019]

References

1. Greece pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

A pilot randomized controlled trial of automated and counselor-delivered text messages for e-cigarette cessation. [2023]

2. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

How do smokers use a smoking cessation text messaging intervention? [2018]

3. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Effectiveness of a Quit Vaping Text Message Program in Promoting Abstinence Among Young Adult E-Cigarette Users: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial. [2020]

4. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Internet and mobile phone text messaging intervention for college smokers. [2022]

5. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Smoking and television: review of extant literature. [2019]

6. United States pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

The feasibility, acceptability, and initial efficacy of a remotely delivered, financial-incentive intervention to initiate vaping abstinence in young adults. [2022]

7. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Engagement Within a Mobile Phone-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention for Adolescents and its Association With Participant Characteristics and Outcomes. [2019]

8. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Analysing user-reported data for enhancement of SmokefreeTXT: a national text message smoking cessation intervention. [2018]

9. Canada pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Predictors of Retention in an Adult Text Messaging Smoking Cessation Intervention Program: Cohort Study. [2023]

10. England pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Optimising text messaging to improve adherence to web-based smoking cessation treatment: a randomised control trial protocol. [2019]