title: A block randomized controlled trial of a brief smoking cessation counselling and advice through short message service on participants who joined the Quit to Win Contest in Hong Kong.
abstract: The present trial examined the effectiveness of brief interventions for smokers who joined the Hong Kong Quit to Win Contest to quit smoking. A block randomized controlled trial allocated 1003 adult daily smokers to three groups: (i) The TEL group (n = 338) received a 5-min nurse-led telephone counselling; (ii) The SMS group (n = 335) received eight text messages through mobile phone and (iii) The CONTROL group (n = 330) did not receive the above interventions. Participants with biochemically verified abstinence at 6-month follow-up could receive cash incentive. The primary outcome was the self-reported 7-day point prevalence (PP) of tobacco abstinence at 6-month follow-up. The abstinence rate in the TEL, SMS and CONTROL group was 22.2, 20.6 and 20.3%, respectively (P for TEL versus CONTROL = 0.32; P for SMS versus CONTROL = 0.40). When abstinence at 2-, 6- and 12-month follow-up was modelled simultaneously, the TEL group had a higher abstinence than the CONTROL group (Adjusted OR = 1.38, 95% CI = 1.01-1.88, P = 0 .04). In the Quit to Win Contest, the brief telephone counselling might have increased abstinence, but the text messages had no significant effect. Further studies on intensive intervention and interactive messaging services are warranted.
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and.
authors.forename: Sophia S C
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.affiliation: School of Nursing and.
authors.forename: David C N
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Wong
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, derekcheung@hku.hk.
authors.forename: Yee Tak Derek
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Cheung
authors.affiliation: The Nethersole School of Nursing, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong and.
authors.forename: Doris Y P
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lau
authors.affiliation: Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Vienna
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong.
authors.forename: Tai-Hing
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Lam
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003376:Counseling / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006723:Hong Kong; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D057566:Self Report; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D013689:Telephone / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D060145:Text Messaging