Impact of Positive Mental Vs. Physical Health Messaging on Motivation to Stop Smoking

Katherine Sawyer

Status: Completed

Conditions: Smoking, Tobacco

Treatments: Behavioral: Messages on tobacco packaging labels

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT06762756

21-244

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study tested whether positive messages on tobacco packaging about the mental health benefits of quitting smoking could help motivate people to stop smoking. It compared three types of labels: ones focusing on mental health benefits, ones focusing on physical health benefits, and blank labels.

The experiment involved 631 people who smoke who were randomly shown one of these label types on an online survey platform. Participants' motivation to quit smoking was measured before and after viewing the labels.

Enrollment: 631 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Self-reported weekly tobacco smokers
2. Aged at least 18 years
3. Could read English

Exclusion criteria

Did not smoke tobacco at least weekly

Trial design

Primary purpose: Other

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Double Blind

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631 participants in 3 patient groups, including a placebo group

Positive mental health labels

Experimental group

Description:

Participants viewed four messages, formatted as tobacco packaging labels, communicating the benefits of smoking cessation for mental health. The messages were: * "Quitting smoking improves your mental health" * "Quitting smoking reduces feelings of depression" * "Quitting smoking reduces feelings of anxiety" * "Quitting smoking can improve your mood"

Treatment:

Behavioral: Messages on tobacco packaging labels

Positive physical health labels

Active Comparator group

Description:

Participants viewed four messages, formatted as tobacco packaging labels, communicating the benefits of smoking cessation for physical health. The messages were: * "Quitting smoking improves your health" * "Quitting smoking reduces risk your risk of having a heart attack" * "Quitting smoking reduces shortness of breath and coughing" * "Quitting smoking can improve your oral health"

Treatment:

Behavioral: Messages on tobacco packaging labels

Blank labels

Placebo Comparator group

Description:

Participants viewed four blank messages, formatted as tobacco packaging labels. The messages were: * Blank template * Template with "Example" * Template with "Template" * Template with "Image, Text"

Treatment:

Behavioral: Messages on tobacco packaging labels