Jiang Nan, Zhang Yidan, Qian Xiaokun, Thorpe Lorna, Trinh-Shevrin Chau, Shelley Donna
Department of Population Health, Grossman School of Medicine, New York University, New York, United States.
School of Global Public Health, New York University, New York, United States.
Tob Prev Cessat. 2020 Sep 11;6:52. doi: 10.18332/tpc/125942. eCollection 2020.
Smoking rates remain disproportionately high among Chinese immigrants in the US, particularly in males. Community-based smoking cessation services and quitlines have low engagement rates. Social media and text messaging programs can be effective in promoting quit rates and improving treatment engagement. This study examined Chinese immigrant smokers' barriers to accessing available smoking cessation services and patterns of using social media platforms and mobile phone text messaging.
We conducted in-depth interviews (n=30) and a brief survey (n=49) with adult Chinese immigrant smokers leaving in New York City in 2018. Qualitative interviews explored smokers' challenges with smoking cessation, barriers to accessing and using smoking cessation services, and experience using social media and text messaging. The quantitative survey assessed smoking and quitting behaviors, and social media and text messaging use patterns.
Qualitative data revealed that participants faced various barriers to accessing cessation services, including the lack of awareness about services, skepticism about treatment effects, reliance on willpower for cessation, and time constraints. WeChat was mainly used to maintain social networking and acquire information. Participants rarely used text messaging or other social media platforms. Quantitative data showed that 55% of participants had no plan to quit smoking. Among those who reported past-year quit attempts (45%), 55% used cessation assistance. WeChat was the most frequently used platform with 94% users.
WeChat has potential to serve as an easily accessible platform for delivering smoking cessation treatment among Chinese immigrant populations. Research is warranted to explore the feasibility and efficacy of employing WeChat in smoking cessation treatment.
在美国的中国移民中，吸烟率仍然高得不成比例，尤其是男性。基于社区的戒烟服务和戒烟热线参与率较低。社交媒体和短信项目在提高戒烟率和改善治疗参与度方面可能有效。本研究调查了中国移民吸烟者在获取现有戒烟服务方面的障碍以及使用社交媒体平台和手机短信的模式。
2018年，我们对居住在纽约市的成年中国移民吸烟者进行了深入访谈（n = 30）和简短调查（n = 49）。定性访谈探讨了吸烟者在戒烟方面面临的挑战、获取和使用戒烟服务的障碍以及使用社交媒体和短信的经历。定量调查评估了吸烟和戒烟行为以及社交媒体和短信使用模式。
定性数据显示，参与者在获取戒烟服务方面面临各种障碍，包括对服务缺乏了解、对治疗效果持怀疑态度、依赖意志力戒烟以及时间限制。微信主要用于维持社交网络和获取信息。参与者很少使用短信或其他社交媒体平台。定量数据显示，55%的参与者没有戒烟计划。在报告过去一年有戒烟尝试的人中（45%），55%使用了戒烟辅助手段。微信是使用最频繁的平台，有94%的用户。
微信有潜力成为中国移民群体中提供戒烟治疗的一个易于使用的平台。有必要开展研究以探索在戒烟治疗中使用微信的可行性和有效性。
