WeChat Quit Coach for Smoking Cessation

Overseen By Jennifer (Jingrui) Yang

Age: 18+

Sex: Any

Trial Phase: Academic

Sponsor: NYU Langone Health

Must be taking: Nicotine replacement

Disqualifiers: Pregnant, Breastfeeding, Other cessation programs, others

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

Compensation: Varies

Number of Visits: 30

What You Need to Know Before You Apply

What is the purpose of this trial?

This trial tests a new method to help Chinese immigrants in New York City quit smoking through a WeChat-based program called the WeChat Quit Coach. Participants receive support via a mobile messaging group and may also use nicotine patches or lozenges. The trial aims to evaluate the effectiveness of this method and assess participant satisfaction. Individuals who have smoked regularly, are interested in quitting, and frequently use WeChat may be well-suited for this study. As an unphased trial, this study provides a unique opportunity to explore innovative support methods for quitting smoking.

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

The trial information does not specify whether you need to stop taking your current medications. However, it does mention that participants cannot be in another smoking cessation program at the same time.

What prior data suggests that the WeChat Quit Coach intervention is safe for smoking cessation?

Research has shown that the WeChat Quit Coach program is safe and popular among users. A previous study found that Chinese immigrants who used the program considered it easy to use and helpful for quitting smoking. This study identified no major safety issues or negative effects from the program itself.

The trial also offers nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) patches or lozenges, which the FDA has approved to help people stop smoking. NRT is generally easy to handle, with side effects often being mild, such as skin irritation from patches or mouth irritation from lozenges.

Overall, both the WeChat Quit Coach and the optional NRT treatments in the trial are considered safe based on existing research and FDA approval. ^{1 2 3 4 5}

Why are researchers excited about this trial?

Researchers are excited about the WeChat Quit Coach for smoking cessation because it leverages a popular social media platform to deliver personalized support and guidance, which is a novel approach compared to traditional methods like nicotine replacement therapies (NRT) alone. Unlike standard options that typically focus on pharmacological solutions, this method combines digital communication with optional NRT patches or lozenges, offering a flexible, user-friendly way to quit smoking. By integrating interactive text support and educational materials through WeChat, this approach could potentially enhance user engagement and motivation, providing a more holistic and accessible quitting experience.

What evidence suggests that this trial's treatments could be effective for smoking cessation?

Research shows that the WeChat Quit Coach can help people stop smoking. In this trial, participants in Intervention Group A will use the WeChat Quit Coach for a 6-week intervention period, while those in Intervention Group B will use it for a 12-week period. One study found that 25% of participants using the WeChat Quit Coach stayed smoke-free for six months, confirmed by medical tests. Another study showed that using WeChat to quit smoking was more effective than other online methods, particularly for individuals with COPD, a lung disease. Over 94% of users found the program helpful, with most expressing satisfaction. Overall, these findings suggest that the WeChat Quit Coach is promising for helping people quit smoking. ^{1 2 4 6 7}

Who Is on the Research Team?

Nan Jiang, PhD

Principal Investigator

NYU Langone Health

Are You a Good Fit for This Trial?

This trial is for Chinese immigrants in NYC, aged 18-80, who smoke at least three days a week and have smoked over 100 cigarettes in their lifetime. They must use WeChat regularly, own a smartphone, read and speak Chinese, and be interested in quitting smoking. Pregnant or breastfeeding individuals or those already in cessation programs cannot join.

Inclusion Criteria

You must be willing to quit smoking to some extent.

You smoke at least three days every week.

You own a smartphone.

Exclusion Criteria

Be pregnant or breastfeeding

Current participation in other smoking cessation treatment program(s)

Timeline for a Trial Participant

Screening

Participants are screened for eligibility to participate in the trial

2-4 weeks

Intervention Group A

Participants receive a 6-week WeChat Quit Coach intervention through WeChat private group

6 weeks

Baseline in-person survey, 6-week follow-up phone survey

Intervention Group B

Participants receive a 12-week WeChat Quit Coach intervention through WeChat private group

12 weeks

Baseline phone survey, 12-week follow-up phone survey

Control Group

Participants receive a leaflet with information about existing smoking cessation programs

6-12 weeks

Baseline survey, follow-up surveys at 6 and 12 weeks

Follow-up

Participants are monitored for smoking abstinence and self-efficacy at 6-month follow-up

6 months

6-month follow-up phone survey

What Are the Treatments Tested in This Trial?

Interventions

• Leaflet
• Optional Nicotine Replacement Therapy (NRT) Patches or Lozenges
• Text
• WeChat Quit Coach

Trial Overview The study tests a WeChat-based quit-smoking program versus standard leaflets on smoking cessation. Participants are randomly placed into groups: one gets the WeChat Quit Coach for either 6 or 12 weeks; another just receives informational leaflets. All participants can opt to use NRT patches/lozenges.

How Is the Trial Designed?

Group I: Intervention Group B Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will be assigned to a 12-week intervention period.

Group II: Intervention Group A Experimental Treatment 2 Interventions

Participants will be assigned to a 6-week intervention period.

Group III: Control Group Active Control 2 Interventions

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

NYU Langone Health

Lead Sponsor

Trials

1,431

Recruited

838,000+

National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Collaborator

Trials

473

Recruited

1,374,000+

Asian Americans for Equality

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

150+

Chinese American Planning Council

Collaborator

Trials

1

Recruited

150+

Citations

1. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10209122/

Efficacy of WeChat-based online smoking cessation ... Participants were followed up to 26 weeks after the quit date. The primary outcome was self-reported continuous smoking abstinence rate, ...

2. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11318363/

Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial - PMC - PubMed Central WeChat Quit Coach appears to be promising in promoting abstinence, with a biochemically verified abstinence rate of 25% at 6 months, which is ...

3. cdn.clinicaltrials.gov cdn.clinicaltrials.gov/large-docs/88/NCT05130788/ICF_000.pdf

WeChat Quit Coach Pilot Study NCT Number: NCT05130788 The study includes an in-person survey at enrollment, a 6-week WeChat smoking cessation intervention, a phone survey at the end of the intervention, a phone ...

4. sciencedirect.com sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590093523000048

Efficacy of digital therapeutics in smoking cessation Digital therapeutics to aid smoking cessation was more effective for COPD patients. Intervention based on WeChat had more significant effect than other digital ...

5. tobaccoinduceddiseases.org tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/Evaluation-of-the-smoking-cessation-effects-of-QuitAction-a-smartphone-WeChat-platform,161257,0,2.html

Evaluation of the smoking cessation effects of QuitAction, a ... QuitAction was reported as helpful by 94.9% of participants and 95.7% were satisfied with the program. Participants with a quitting difficulty ...

6. withpower.com withpower.com/trial/wechat-quit-coach-for-smoking-cessation-98ef4

WeChat Quit Coach for Smoking Cessation This trial tests a WeChat program to help Chinese immigrant smokers in NYC quit smoking. The program uses group messages for support and motivation.

7. cureus.com cureus.com/articles/415631-motivating-quit-attempts-through-gamification-a-systematic-review-of-digital-game-based-interventions-for-smoking-cessation

A Systematic Review of Digital Game-Based Interventions ... Cessation of tobacco use reduces the risk of cardiovascular and pulmonary illnesses, numerous cancers, and early mortality [4]. The Centers for ...