This study is a randomized controlled trial (RCT) of QuitBet, a digital contingency management program for smoking cessation. QuitBet combines social gaming elements with participant-funded financial incentives in the form of a deposit contract. QuitBet "players" deposit (called the "bet") a specified amount of their own money into the game's "pot." All "winners" who achieve the game's goal split the pot equally, such that their bet is fully refunded plus they receive extra money from the forfeited bets of players who did not meet the goal. Participants (N = 550) will be randomly assigned to QuitBet or QuitBet-NS (deposit contract only, no social elements). All participants will be offered a second game after their first game (up to 8 weeks total game duration) and will be asked to complete a survey after each game and at 1 and 4 months after the end of the second game (3 and 6 months after the start of their first game). The study will compare QuitBet vs. QuitBet-NS on smoking behavior outcomes and examine potential mediators of outcomes such as motivation, engagement, and satisfaction.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
245
Participants will deposit $30 of their own money to play QuitBet. Participants will submit a CO test once per day between the hours of noon and 11:59pm. Participants whose CO test is 6ppm or lower (indicating no smoking) on at least 24 of 26 days between day 3-28 of the game will be declared winners and split the pot of deposited money. Participants who submit at least 21 CO tests, regardless of the result, will be entered into a raffle to win a prize worth $75.
Participants will have access to a discussion board on which participants can post and respond to messages to each other. Also, a game host will post educational information about smoking cessation and serve as a discussion moderator.
Participants will have access to a list of smoking cessation resources
WayBetter
Wilmington, Delaware, United States
Number of Participants Who Reported no Cigarette Smoking During the Past 7 Days
At 6 month follow-up, participant reported no smoking during the past 7 days (survey question: "Have you smoked a cigarette, even just a puff, during the past 7 days?" with answer choices of "yes" or "no" - participant responded "no").
Time frame: 6 months after the start date of their first QuitBet game
Number of Participants Who Choose to Play a Second Game
Number of participants who chose to play a second QuitBet game
Time frame: 4 weeks after the start date of their first QuitBet game (end of game), when they were given the option to join a second game
Cigarettes Per Day During the Past 7 Days
At 6 month follow up, the number of cigarettes the participant reported smoking during the previous 7 days (survey respondents only). In the 6 month follow-up survey, participants were first asked "Have you smoked a cigarette, even just a puff, during the past 7 days?" (yes/no answer choice). Participants who answered "no" were counted as smoking 0 cigarettes in this analysis. Participants who answered "yes" were then asked to report how many cigarettes they smoked on each day during the past week (day 1 being this day last week, day 2, day 3, day 4, day 5, day 6, day 7 being yesterday). The average of the 7 days was used in this analysis.
Time frame: 6 months after the start of their first QuitBet game
Number of Participants Who Used Smoking Cessation Medication
Number of participants who reported use of any smoking cessation medication (including any form of nicotine replacement therapy, buproprion, or varencline) at any time during their participation in the study, from the start of their first QuitBet game until the last follow-up 6 months later
Time frame: 6 month period beginning with the start of their first QuitBet game
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