scholarly journals Correction: Optimizing Text Messages to Promote Engagement With Internet Smoking Cessation Treatment: Results From a Factorial Screening Experiment

10.2196/21027 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (7) ◽  
pp. e21027
Author(s):  
Amanda L Graham ◽  
George D Papandonatos ◽  
Megan A Jacobs ◽  
Michael S Amato ◽  
Sarah Cha ◽  
...  

10.2196/17734 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. e17734 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda L Graham ◽  
George D Papandonatos ◽  
Megan A Jacobs ◽  
Michael S Amato ◽  
Sarah Cha ◽  
...  

Background Smoking remains a leading cause of preventable death and illness. Internet interventions for smoking cessation have the potential to significantly impact public health, given their broad reach and proven effectiveness. Given the dose-response association between engagement and behavior change, identifying strategies to promote engagement is a priority across digital health interventions. Text messaging is a proven smoking cessation treatment modality and a powerful strategy to increase intervention engagement in other areas of health, but it has not been tested as an engagement strategy for a digital cessation intervention. Objective This study examined the impact of 4 experimental text message design factors on adult smokers’ engagement with an internet smoking cessation program. Methods We conducted a 2×2×2×2 full factorial screening experiment wherein 864 participants were randomized to 1 of 16 experimental conditions after registering with a free internet smoking cessation program and enrolling in its automated text message program. Experimental factors were personalization (on/off), integration between the web and text message platforms (on/off), dynamic tailoring of intervention content based on user engagement (on/off), and message intensity (tapered vs abrupt drop-off). Primary outcomes were 3-month measures of engagement (ie, page views, time on site, and return visits to the website) as well as use of 6 interactive features of the internet program. All metrics were automatically tracked; there were no missing data. Results Main effects were detected for integration and dynamic tailoring. Integration significantly increased interactive feature use by participants, whereas dynamic tailoring increased the number of features used and page views. No main effects were found for message intensity or personalization alone, although several synergistic interactions with other experimental features were observed. Synergistic effects, when all experimental factors were active, resulted in the highest rates of interactive feature use and the greatest proportion of participants at high levels of engagement. Measured in terms of standardized mean differences (SMDs), effects on interactive feature use were highest for Build Support System (SMD 0.56; 95% CI 0.27 to 0.81), Choose Quit Smoking Aid (SMD 0.38; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.66), and Track Smoking Triggers (SMD 0.33; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.61). Among the engagement metrics, the largest effects were on overall feature utilization (SMD 0.33; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.59) and time on site (SMD 0.29; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.57). As no SMD >0.30 was observed for main effects on any outcome, results suggest that for some outcomes, the combined intervention was stronger than individual factors alone. Conclusions This factorial experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of text messaging as a strategy to increase engagement with an internet smoking cessation intervention, resulting in greater overall intervention dose and greater exposure to the core components of tobacco dependence treatment that can promote abstinence. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02585206; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02585206. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID) RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010687


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amanda L Graham ◽  
George D Papandonatos ◽  
Megan A Jacobs ◽  
Michael S Amato ◽  
Sarah Cha ◽  
...  

BACKGROUND Smoking remains a leading cause of preventable death and illness. Internet interventions for smoking cessation have the potential to significantly impact public health, given their broad reach and proven effectiveness. Given the dose-response association between engagement and behavior change, identifying strategies to promote engagement is a priority across digital health interventions. Text messaging is a proven smoking cessation treatment modality and a powerful strategy to increase intervention engagement in other areas of health, but it has not been tested as an engagement strategy for a digital cessation intervention. OBJECTIVE This study examined the impact of 4 experimental text message design factors on adult smokers’ engagement with an internet smoking cessation program. METHODS We conducted a 2×2×2×2 full factorial screening experiment wherein 864 participants were randomized to 1 of 16 experimental conditions after registering with a free internet smoking cessation program and enrolling in its automated text message program. Experimental factors were <i>personalization</i> (on/off), <i>integration</i> between the web and text message platforms (on/off), <i>dynamic tailoring</i> of intervention content based on user engagement (on/off), and <i>message intensity</i> (tapered vs abrupt drop-off). Primary outcomes were 3-month measures of engagement (ie, page views, time on site, and return visits to the website) as well as use of 6 interactive features of the internet program. All metrics were automatically tracked; there were no missing data. RESULTS Main effects were detected for <i>integration</i> and <i>dynamic tailoring</i>. <i>Integration</i> significantly increased interactive feature use by participants, whereas <i>dynamic tailoring</i> increased the number of features used and page views. No main effects were found for <i>message intensity</i> or <i>personalization</i> alone, although several synergistic interactions with other experimental features were observed. Synergistic effects, when all experimental factors were active, resulted in the highest rates of interactive feature use and the greatest proportion of participants at high levels of engagement. Measured in terms of standardized mean differences (SMDs), effects on interactive feature use were highest for Build Support System (SMD 0.56; 95% CI 0.27 to 0.81), Choose Quit Smoking Aid (SMD 0.38; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.66), and Track Smoking Triggers (SMD 0.33; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.61). Among the engagement metrics, the largest effects were on overall feature utilization (SMD 0.33; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.59) and time on site (SMD 0.29; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.57). As no SMD &gt;0.30 was observed for main effects on any outcome, results suggest that for some outcomes, the combined intervention was stronger than individual factors alone. CONCLUSIONS This factorial experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of text messaging as a strategy to increase engagement with an internet smoking cessation intervention, resulting in greater overall intervention dose and greater exposure to the core components of tobacco dependence treatment that can promote abstinence. CLINICALTRIAL ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02585206; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02585206. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010687


2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Karolien Adriaens ◽  
Eline Belmans ◽  
Dinska Van Gucht ◽  
Frank Baeyens

Abstract Background This interventional-cohort study tried to answer if people who smoke and choose an e-cigarette in the context of smoking cessation treatment by tobacco counselors in Flanders are achieving smoking abstinence and how they compare to clients who opt for commonly recommended (or no) aids (nicotine replacement therapy, smoking cessation medication). Methods Participants were recruited by tobacco counselors. They followed smoking cessation treatment (in group) for 2 months. At several times during treatment and 7 months after quit date, participants were asked to fill out questionnaires and to perform eCO measurements. Results One third of all participants (n = 244) achieved smoking abstinence 7 months after the quit date, with e-cigarette users having higher chances to be smoking abstinent at the final session compared to NRT users. Point prevalence abstinence rates across all follow-up measurements, however, as well as continuous and prolonged smoking abstinence, were similar in e-cigarette users and in clients having chosen a commonly recommended (or no) smoking cessation aid. No differences were obtained between smoking cessation aids with respect to product use and experiences. Conclusions People who smoke and choose e-cigarettes in the context of smoking cessation treatment by tobacco counselors show similar if not higher smoking cessation rates compared to those choosing other evidence-based (or no) smoking cessation aids.


2015 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
C.A. Jiménez-Ruiz ◽  
K.O. Fagerström

Smoking cessation is the only therapeutic intervention that can prevent COPD smokers from the chronic progression of their disorder. The most important intervention for helping these smokers to quit is a combination of counseling plus pharmacological treatment. The characteristics of the counseling should be different depending if this intervention is offered to smokers with a previous diagnosis of COPD or if the intervention is offered to smokers who have been recently diagnoses with COPD. The counseling of patients who have been recently diagnosed should include: a) explanation of the direct relationship between smoking and COPD, b) encouraging these patients to quit and c) using of spirometry and measurements of CO as a motivational tools. The counseling of patients who have been previously diagnosed should include: a) encouragement to make a serious quit attempt, b) an intervention that increases motivation, self-efficacy and self-esteem, c) and the intervention should also control depression and be directed to weight gain control.


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