The objective of this study is to examine whether messages conveying the harms and addictiveness of waterpipe (i.e., hookah) tobacco delivered by mobile phone multimedia messaging (MMS) are effective for promoting hookah tobacco cessation among young adults ages 18 to 30 years.
The purpose of this study is to test the effects of messages communicating the risks (i.e., health harms, addictiveness) of hookah tobacco delivered via mobile multimedia messaging for promoting hookah tobacco cessation. The study will also compare two messaging approaches, a standard untailored approach where all participants receive the same message content, and a tailored messaging approach where message content is personalized to baseline measures of hookah tobacco use behavior and beliefs and interactively to exchanges that occur via mobile messaging sent and received during the exposure period. The study includes young adults ages 18 to 30 who are current hookah tobacco smokers. Eligible participants are young adults ages 18 to 30 years who have smoked hookah tobacco at least once in the past month, smoke hookah tobacco on at least a monthly basis, and have access to the internet and a personal mobile phone to complete study procedures. Study participants will complete a baseline survey online, and all participants will receive standard information about the risks of hookah tobacco. Then participants will be randomly assigned to one of three groups: control group, untailored message group, tailored message group. Participants in the untailored and tailored message group will receive messages sent to their mobile phones communicating the risks of hookah tobacco for a 6 week period. All participants will complete follow-up surveys online 6 weeks after baseline, 3 months later, and 6 months later.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
349
Mobile multimedia messages consisting of text and imagery conveying the risks of hookah tobacco use.
Georgetown University
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, United States
Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, United States
Perceived Harm
Perceived harm of hookah tobacco is measured using valid self-report item assessing perceptions of how likely harms are to occur from hookah tobacco use (response range 1 no chance to 7 certain to happen). Greater perceived likelihood of harm is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6-month follow-up, 6 month follow-up data reported.
Time frame: 6-months
Perceived Addictiveness
Perceived addictiveness of hookah tobacco is measured using valid self-report item assessing perceptions of how likely one is to become addicted to hookah tobacco (1 = no chance, 7 = certain to happen). Greater perceived likelihood of addictiveness is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up data reported.
Time frame: 6-months
Worry About Harm
Worry about the harms of hookah tobacco is measured using a valid self-report item assessing how much participants worry about the risks of hookah tobacco (1 = Not at all, 7 = Very much). Greater worry about harm is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3-month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up reported.
Time frame: 6-months
Worry About Addictiveness
Worry about the addictiveness of hookah tobacco is measured using a valid self-report item assessing how much participants worry about becoming addicted to hookah tobacco (1 = Not at all, 7 = very much). Greater perceived addictiveness is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3 month follow-up, and 6 month-follow-up, 6 month follow-up reported.
Time frame: 6 months
Motivation to Quit
Motivation to quit is measured using a valid self-report item assessing how much participants want to quit smoking hookah tobacco right now (1 = Not at all, 7 = Very). Greater motivation to quit is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3 month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up reported.
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Time frame: 6-months
Hookah Tobacco Use Frequency
Hookah tobacco use frequency is measured using a valid self-report item assessing how often participants have smoked hookah tobacco in the past 30 days. The item measures the number of days in the past month participants have smoked hookah tobacco. Less frequent hookah tobacco use is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post-intervention, 3 month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up reported.
Time frame: 6 months
Percent of Participants Who Quit Smoking Hookah Tobacco
Hookah tobacco cessation is measured using a single valid self-report item assessing if participants have stopped smoking hookah tobacco completely. The item asks if participants have completely stopped smoking hookah tobacco based on a yes/no response. Quitting hookah tobacco use (i.e., responses of "yes") is considered a better outcome. The assessment is administered immediately post intervention, 3 month follow-up, and 6 month follow-up, 6-month follow-up data reported.
Time frame: 6 months