RESEARCH PAPER

Do u smoke after txt? Results of a randomised trial of smoking cessation using mobile phone text messaging

A Rodgers¹, T Corbett², D Bramley³, T Riddell⁴, M Wills¹, R-B Lin¹, M Jones¹

¹ Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Auckland, New Zealand
² Social & Community Health, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland
³ Epidemiology and Biostatistics, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland
⁴ Maori and Pacific Health, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr Anthony Rodgers
Clinical Trials Research Unit, School of Population Health, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand; a.rodgers{at}ctru.auckland.ac.nz

Objectives: To determine the effectiveness of a mobile phone text messaging smoking cessation programme.

Design: Randomised controlled trial

Setting: New Zealand

Participants: 1705 smokers from throughout New Zealand who wanted to quit, were aged over 15 years, and owned a mobile phone were randomised to an intervention group that received regular, personalised text messages providing smoking cessation advice, support, and distraction, or to a control group. All participants received a free month of text messaging; starting for the intervention group on their quit day to assist with quitting, and starting for the control group at six months to encourage follow up. Follow up data were available for 1624 (95%) at six weeks and 1265 (74%) at six months.

Main outcome measures: The main trial outcome was current non-smoking (that is, not smoking in the past week) six weeks after randomisation. Secondary outcomes included current non-smoking at 12 and 26 weeks.

Results: More participants had quit at six weeks in the intervention compared to the control group: 239 (28%) v 109 (13%), relative risk 2.20 (95% confidence interval 1.79 to 2.70), p < 0.0001. This treatment effect was consistent across subgroups defined by age, sex, income level, or geographic location (p homogeneity > 0.2). The relative risk estimates were similar in sensitivity analyses adjusting for missing data and salivary cotinine verification tests. Reported quit rates remained high at six months, but there was some uncertainty about between group differences because of incomplete follow up.

Conclusions: This programme offers potential for a new way to help young smokers to quit, being affordable, personalised, age appropriate, and not location dependent. Future research should test these findings in different settings, and provide further assessment of long term quit rates.

Keywords: cessation; mobile phone; youth; clinical trial; randomised

CiteULike    Complore    Connotea    Del.icio.us    Digg    Reddit    Technorati    What's this?

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Haug, S., Meyer, C., Schorr, G., Bauer, S., John, U. (2009). Continuous individual support of smoking cessation using text messaging: A pilot experimental study. Nicotine Tob Res 11: 915-923 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Haller, D. M, Sanci, L. A, Patton, G. C, Sawyer, S. M (2009). Text message communication in primary care research: a randomized controlled trial. Fam Pract 26: 325-330 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kuntsche, E., Robert, B. (2009). Short Message Service (SMS) Technology in Alcohol Research--A Feasibility Study. Alcohol Alcohol 44: 423-428 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Free, C, Whittaker, R, Knight, R, Abramsky, T, Rodgers, A, Roberts, I G (2009). Txt2stop: a pilot randomised controlled trial of mobile phone-based smoking cessation support. Tobacco Control 18: 88-91 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Gerber, B. S., Stolley, M. R., Thompson, A. L., Sharp, L. K., Fitzgibbon, M. L. (2009). Mobile phone text messaging to promote healthy behaviors and weight loss maintenance: a feasibility study. Health Informatics Journal 15: 17-25 [Abstract]  
• Buetow, S. A. (2009). Something in Nothing: Negative Space in the Clinician-Patient Relationship. Ann Fam Med 7: 80-83 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Self-Brown, S., Whitaker, D. J. (2008). Parent-Focused Child Maltreatment Prevention: Improving Assessment, Intervention, and Dissemination With Technology. Child Maltreat 13: 400-416 [Abstract]  
• Colledge, A., Car, J., Donnelly, A., Majeed, A. (2008). Health information for patients: time to look beyond patient information leaflets. JRSM 101: 447-453 [Full Text]  
• Karter, A. J., Stevens, M. R., Gregg, E. W., Brown, A. F., Tseng, C.-W., Marrero, D. G., Duru, O. K., Gary, T. L., Piette, J. D., Waitzfelder, B., Herman, W. H., Beckles, G. L., Safford, M. M., Ettner, S. L. (2008). Educational Disparities in Rates of Smoking Among Diabetic Adults: The Translating Research Into Action for Diabetes Study. AJPH 98: 365-370 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Anderson, C M, Zhu, S-H (2007). Tobacco quitlines: looking back and looking ahead. Tobacco Control 16: i81-i86 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Leong, K. C., Chen, W. S., Leong, K. W., Mastura, I., Mimi, O., Sheikh, M. A., Zailinawati, A. H., Ng, C. J., Phua, K. L., Teng, C. L. (2006). The use of text messaging to improve attendance in primary care: a randomized controlled trial. Fam Pract 23: 699-705 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Kingston, D. (2005). Clinician advice, an interactive computer program, and motivational counselling during routine medical visits increased reported smoking abstinence among teens. Evid. Based Nurs. 8: 105-105 [Full Text]  
• Marcovitch, H. (2005). What's new this month in BMJ Journals. BMJ 331: 372-372 [Full Text]