Project Quit: Positive vs. Negative Offers of an Online Stop Smoking Program

University of Michigan

Status: Completed

Conditions: Smoking Cessation

Treatments: Drug: Nicotine patches 21 mg; Behavioral: Project Quit stop smoking program

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other; NIH

Identifiers

NCT01923467

P50CA101451 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Details and patient eligibility

About

This project is designed to test the effects of affirmation and positive/negative imagery on individuals' thoughts about quitting smoking and willingness to join a stop smoking program. Previous studies have noted that viewing negative images elicits a stronger emotional response, and many stop-smoking campaigns have used such images to push people to quit smoking. However, research also shows that people are generally resistant to health messages. Using affirmation can help to lessen that resistance.

In this study, we use a 2x3 design to study the individual effects of negative imagery and affirmation on smokers' intentions to quit smoking, acceptance of an offer to join a quit smoking program, and program participation and outcomes. We hope to find out whether there is an additive effect of the negative imagery and affirmation on the outcomes listed above. Our specific aims are:

Aim 1: Determine if affirmation increases the uptake of an offer of joining a stop smoking program.

Aim 2: Determine if image type (positive vs. neutral vs. negative) increases the uptake of the stop smoking program offer.

Aim 3: Determine whether there is an interaction between image type and affirmation in people's willingness to join a stop smoking program.

Enrollment: 767 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Current smoker

Exclusion criteria

• Current participation in another stop-smoking program
• Current use of stop smoking medications
• Pregnant or breastfeeding
• Limited internet or email access

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: N/A

Interventional model: Single Group Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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767 participants in 1 patient group

Project Quit plus NRT patches

Experimental group

Description:

All participants in the program will be offered the opportunity to complete the Project Quit stop smoking program. Project Quit is an individually-tailored, web-based program which has been scientifically proven to help people succeed at their quit attempts. All eligible participants will also receive a 2-week supply of Nicotine patches 21 mg.

Treatment:

Drug: Nicotine patches 21 mg

Behavioral: Project Quit stop smoking program