Research Institute for Public Health and Addiction, Konradstrasse 32, 8031 Zurich, Switzerland.
BMC Public Health. 2012 Jan 19;12:51. doi: 10.1186/1471-2458-12-51.
Particularly in groups of adolescents with lower educational level the smoking prevalence is still high and constitutes a serious public health problem. There is limited evidence of effective smoking cessation interventions in this group. Individualised text messaging (SMS) based interventions are promising to support smoking cessation and could be provided to adolescents irrespective of their motivation to quit. The aim of the current paper is to outline the study protocol of a trial testing the efficacy of an SMS based intervention for smoking cessation in apprentices.
METHODS/DESIGN: A two-arm cluster-randomised controlled trial will be conducted to test the efficacy of an SMS intervention for smoking cessation in adolescents and young adults compared to an assessment only control group. A total of 910 daily or occasional (≥ 4 cigarettes in the preceding month and ≥ 1 cigarette in the preceding week) smoking apprentices will be proactively recruited in vocational school classes and, using school class as a randomisation unit, randomly assigned to an intervention group (n = 455) receiving the SMS based intervention or an assessment only control group (n = 455). Individualised text messages taking into account demographic data and the individuals' smoking behaviours will be sent to the participants of the intervention group over a period of 3 months. Participants will receive two text messages promoting smoking cessation per week. Program participants who intend to quit smoking have the opportunity to use a more intensive SMS program to prepare for their quit day and to prevent a subsequent relapse. The primary outcome measure will be the proportion of participants with 7-day point prevalence smoking abstinence assessed at 6-months follow-up. The research assistants conducting the baseline and the follow-up assessments will be blinded regarding group assignment.
It is expected that the program offers an effective and inexpensive way to promote smoking cessation among adolescents and young adults including those with lower educational level and independent of their motivation to quit.
ISRCTN: ISRCTN19739792.
在教育水平较低的青少年群体中，吸烟率仍然很高，这构成了一个严重的公共卫生问题。针对该群体，目前有效戒烟干预措施的证据有限。基于个性化文本信息（SMS）的干预措施有望支持戒烟，并且可以提供给青少年，无论他们的戒烟动机如何。本文旨在概述一项试验的研究方案，该试验旨在测试针对学徒工的基于 SMS 的戒烟干预措施的效果。
方法/设计：将开展一项两臂群组随机对照试验，以测试基于 SMS 的干预措施对青少年和年轻成年人戒烟的效果，与仅评估对照组相比。总共将在职业学校班级中主动招募 910 名每日或偶尔（过去一个月内吸过 4 支或以上香烟，过去一周内吸过 1 支或以上香烟）吸烟的学徒工，并使用班级作为随机分组单位，将他们随机分配到干预组（n=455）或仅评估对照组（n=455）。干预组的参与者将收到根据个人资料数据和个体吸烟行为定制的个性化短信，在 3 个月的时间内发送。每周将向干预组的参与者发送两条促进戒烟的短信。计划戒烟的参与者有机会使用更密集的 SMS 计划为戒烟日做准备，并防止随后的复发。主要结局指标为 6 个月随访时，7 天点患病率吸烟戒断的参与者比例。进行基线和随访评估的研究助理将对分组情况进行盲法评估。
预计该方案将为促进青少年和年轻成年人戒烟提供一种有效且经济实惠的方式，包括那些教育水平较低且无论戒烟动机如何的人。
ISRCTN: ISRCTN86526002。
