Top

BMC Public Health

Published in:

Open Access 01-12-2012 | Study protocol

Efficacy of a text messaging (SMS) based smoking cessation intervention for adolescents and young adults: Study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial

Authors: Severin Haug, Christian Meyer, Andrea Dymalski, Sonia Lippke, Ulrich John

Published in: BMC Public Health | Issue 1/2012

Abstract

Background

Particularly in groups of adolescents with lower educational level the smoking prevalence is still high and constitutes a serious public health problem. There is limited evidence of effective smoking cessation interventions in this group. Individualised text messaging (SMS) based interventions are promising to support smoking cessation and could be provided to adolescents irrespective of their motivation to quit. The aim of the current paper is to outline the study protocol of a trial testing the efficacy of an SMS based intervention for smoking cessation in apprentices.

Methods/Design

A two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial will be conducted to test the efficacy of an SMS intervention for smoking cessation in adolescents and young adults compared to an assessment only control group. A total of 910 daily or occasional (≥ 4 cigarettes in the preceding month and ≥ 1 cigarette in the preceding week) smoking apprentices will be proactively recruited in vocational school classes and, using school class as a randomisation unit, randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 455) receiving the SMS based intervention or an assessment only control group (n = 455). Individualised text messages taking into account demographic data and the individuals' smoking behaviours will be sent to the participants of the intervention group over a period of 3 months. Participants will receive two text messages promoting smoking cessation per week. Program participants who intend to quit smoking have the opportunity to use a more intensive SMS program to prepare for their quit day and to prevent a subsequent relapse. The primary outcome measure will be the proportion of participants with 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence assessed at 6-months follow-up. The research assistants conducting the baseline and the follow-up assessments will be blinded regarding group assignment.

Discussion

It is expected that the program offers an effective and inexpensive way to promote smoking cessation among adolescents and young adults including those with lower educational level and independent of their motivation to quit.

Trial registration number

ISRCTN: ISRCTN19739792

Available only for authorised users

World Health Organization: Global Health Risks: Mortality and burden of disease attributable to selected major risks. 2009, Geneva: World Health Organization

World Health Organization: WHO report on the global tobacco epidemic, 2011: Warning about the dangers of tobacco. 2011, Geneva: World Health Organization

Hibell B, Guttormsson U, Ahlström S, Balakireva O, Bjarnason T, Kokkevi A, Kraus L: The 2007 ESPAD report. Substance use among students in 35 European countries. Stockholm, Sweden: Swedish Council for Information on Alcohol and other Drugs. 2007

Radtke T, Keller R, Krebs H, Hornung R: Der Tabakkonsum Jugendlicher und junger Erwachsener in den Jahren 2001 bis 2009/10. 2011, Zürich: Universität Zürich, Psychologisches Institut, Sozial- und Gesundheitspsychologie

Grimshaw GM, Stanton A: Tobacco cessation interventions for young people. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. 2006, 4: CD003289-PubMed

Sussman S, Sun P: Youth tobacco use cessation: 2008 update. Tobacco Induced Diseases. 2009, 5: 3-10.1186/1617-9625-5-3.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

Prochaska JO, Redding CA, Evers KE: Health behavior and health education Theory, research, and practice. The transtheoretical model and stages of change. Edited by: Glanz K, Lewis FM, Rimer BK. 1997, San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass, 60-84.

Willemse I, Waller G, Süss D: 2010, JAMES - Jugend, Aktivität, Medien - Erhebung Schweiz. Zürich: Zürcher Hochschule für Angewandte Wissenschaften

Noar SM, Benac CN, Harris MS: Does tailoring matter? Meta-analytic review of tailored print health behavior change interventions. Psychol Bull. 2007, 133 (4): 673-693.CrossRefPubMed

10.

Walters ST, Wright JA, Shegog R: A review of computer and Internet-based interventions for smoking behavior. Addict Behav. 2006, 31 (2): 264-277. 10.1016/j.addbeh.2005.05.002.CrossRefPubMed

11.

Free C, Whittaker R, Knight R, Abramsky T, Rodgers A, Roberts IG: Txt2stop: a pilot randomised controlled trial of mobile phone-based smoking cessation support. Tob Control. 2009, 18 (2): 88-91. 10.1136/tc.2008.026146.CrossRefPubMed

12.

Rodgers A, Corbett T, Bramley D, Riddell T, Wills M, Lin RB, Jones M: Do u smoke after txt? Results of a randomised trial of smoking cessation using mobile phone text messaging. Tob Control. 2005, 14 (4): 255-261. 10.1136/tc.2005.011577.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

13.

Free C, Knight R, Robertson S, Whittaker R, Edwards P, Zhou W, Rodgers A, Cairns J, Kenward MG, Roberts I: Smoking cessation support delivered via mobile phone text messaging (txt2stop): a single-blind, randomised trial. Lancet. 2011, 378 (9785): 49-55. 10.1016/S0140-6736(11)60701-0.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

14.

Haug S, Meyer C, Gross B, Schorr G, Thyrian JR, Kordy H, Bauer S, Rumpf HJ, John U: Kontinuierliche individuelle Förderung der Rauchabstinenz bei sozial benachteiligten jungen Erwachsenen über das Handy - Ergebnisse einer Pilotstudie. Das Gesundheitswesen. 2008, 70 (6): 364-371. 10.1055/s-2008-1080932.CrossRefPubMed

15.

Haug S, Meyer C, Schorr G, Bauer S, John U: Continuous individual support of smoking cessation using text messaging: a pilot experimental study. Nicotine Tob Res. 2009, 11 (8): 915-923. 10.1093/ntr/ntp084.CrossRefPubMed

16.

Kaminski A, Nauerth A, Pfefferle PI: Health status and health behaviour of apprentices in the first year of apprenticeship - first results of a survey in vocational training schools in Bielefeld. Das Gesundheitswesen. 2008, 70 (1): 38-46. 10.1055/s-2007-1022528.CrossRefPubMed

17.

Schwarzer R: Modeling health behavior change: How to predict and modify the adoption and maintenance of health behaviors. Appl Psychol- Int Rev. 2008, 57 (1): 1-29. 10.1111/j.1464-0597.2007.00325.x.CrossRef

18.

Pocock SJ: Clinical trials: a practical approach. 1994, Chichester: Wiley & Sons

19.

Peterson AV, Kealey KA, Mann SL, Marek PM, Ludman EJ, Liu J, Bricker JB: Group-randomized trial of a proactive, personalized telephone counseling intervention for adolescent smoking cessation. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2009, 101 (20): 1378-1392. 10.1093/jnci/djp317.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

20.

Perkins HW: The Social Norms Approach to Preventing School and College Age Substance Abuse: A Handbook for Educators, Counselors, and Clinicians. 2003, San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, First

21.

Gollwitzer PM, Sheeran P: Implementation intentions and goal achievement: a meta-analysis of effects and processes. Adv Exp Soc Psychol. 2006, 38: 69-119.CrossRef

22.

Lippke S, Ziegelmann JP, Schwarzer R, Velicer WF: Validity of stage assessment in the adoption and maintenance of physical activity and fruit and vegetable consumption. Health Psychol. 2009, 28 (2): 183-193.CrossRefPubMedPubMedCentral

23.

Hughes JR, Keely JP, Niaura RS, Ossip-Klein DJ, Richmond RL, Swan GE: Measures of abstinence in clinical trials: issues and recommendations. Nicotine Tob Res. 2003, 5 (1): 13-25.CrossRefPubMed

24.

Heatherton TF, Kozlowski LT, Frecker RC, Rickert W, Robinson J: Measuring the heaviness of smoking: using self-reported time to the first cigarette of the day and number of cigarettes smoked per day. Br J Addict. 1989, 84 (7): 791-799. 10.1111/j.1360-0443.1989.tb03059.x.CrossRefPubMed

25.

SRNT Subcommittee on Biochemical Validation: Biochemical verification of tobacco use and cessation. Nicotine Tob Res. 2002, 4: 149-159. 10.1080/14622200210123581.CrossRef

The pre-publication history for this paper can be accessed here:http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2458/12/51/prepub

Title: Efficacy of a text messaging (SMS) based smoking cessation intervention for adolescents and young adults: Study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial
Authors: Severin Haug
Christian Meyer
Andrea Dymalski
Sonia Lippke
Ulrich John
Publication date: 01-12-2012
Publisher: BioMed Central
Published in: BMC Public Health / Issue 1/2012
Electronic ISSN: 1471-2458
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-51

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Efficacy of a text messaging (SMS) based smoking cessation intervention for adolescents and young adults: Study protocol of a cluster randomised controlled trial

Abstract

Background

Methods/Design

Discussion

Trial registration number

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Background

Methods/Design

Discussion

Trial registration number

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 1/2012

Food subsidy programs and the health and nutritional status of disadvantaged families in high income countries: a systematic review

Cost-effectiveness of a vocational enablement protocol for employees with hearing impairment; design of a randomized controlled trial

A pre-and-post study of an urban renewal program in a socially disadvantaged neighbourhood in Sydney, Australia

Modelling strategic interventions in a population with a total fertility rate of 8.3: a cross-sectional study of Idjwi Island, DRC

Is there really a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? Has the Occupational Specific Dispensation, as a mechanism to attract and retain health workers in South Africa, leveled the playing field?

An investigation of factors associated with the health and well-being of HIV-infected or HIV-affected older people in rural South Africa