Clinical Trial Details
— Status: Completed
Administrative data
| NCT number |
NCT03718169 |
| Other study ID # |
KE funding |
| Secondary ID |
|
| Status |
Completed |
| Phase |
|
| First received |
|
| Last updated |
|
| Start date |
June 3, 2019 |
| Est. completion date |
October 31, 2020 |
Study information
| Verified date |
June 2020 |
| Source |
The University of Hong Kong |
| Contact |
n/a |
| Is FDA regulated |
No |
| Health authority |
|
| Study type |
Observational
|
Clinical Trial Summary
This project aims to develop a smartphone application to deliver a gender-specific programme
for female smokers in Hong Kong. Through the smartphone application, we expect that our
gender-specific smoking cessation programme can reach more female smokers in Hong Kong. The
objectives is to promote smoking cessation among female smokers in Hong Kong.
Description:
This is a one-year project, and it will be divided into 2 Phases. Phase I will focus on
translating our gender-specific smoking cessation programme into a smartphone application. In
Phase II, the investigators will promote the smartphone application to female smokers in the
community.
Phase I: Translating our gender-specific smoking cessation programme into a smartphone
application To translate our gender-specific smoking cessation programme into a smartphone
application, an expert panel will be formed. The panel members include a chair professor, an
associate professor, an assistant professor, a research assistant professor and a
postdoctoral fellow, with all of whom have considerable experience in conducting studies on
smoking cessation and tobacco control. The content of the smartphone application will be
designed according to the gender-specific smoking cessation programme delivered by our women
Quitline. In particular, the smartphone application aims to help female smokers abstain from
cigarettes by their readiness to quit. For female smokers who are in the pre-contemplation or
contemplation stage, the smartphone application will motivate them to quit by instructing
them to list out the reasons for quitting, and providing them information about the damaging
effects of smoking on health, especially those are specific to women. Regarding female
smokers in the preparation stage, the smartphone application will assist them to
individualize their own quit plan by computerized instructions, and provide generic tips how
they can achieve abstinence step-by-step. Concerning female smokers in the action stage,
skills for overcoming cigarette craving and withdrawal symptoms will be presented. In
addition, hazardous effects of smoking will pop-up in their smartphones to remind them of
smoking cessation throughout their quitting process. To address the needs and concerns of
female smokers, gender-specific elements have been integrated into the smartphone
application. In particular, the smartphone application will correct their misconceptions that
smoking can be a method to control body weight and manage stress. At the same time, the
smartphone application will display information about proper weight-loss strategies and
relaxation techniques. Female smokers who need more intensive counseling can also contact our
Quitline via the smartphone application.
Phase II: Promoting the smartphone application for female smokers in the community In order
to promote the smartphone application for female smokers, the investigators plan to recruit
30 students from the University of Hong Kong to join this project. All recruited students
will be invited to participate in a 1-day training workshop organized by our team. During the
training workshop, the students will be educated on smoking hazards, the basic principles of
smoking cessation and tobacco control policies.
Female smokers will be recruited in smoking hotspots where rubbish bins with a collector of
cigarette butts are nearby. The trained university students will approach female smokers at
the smoking hotspots, and deliver a small souvenir to them. The souvenir is a pack of tissue
paper, with its packaging containing smoking cessation messages and the QR code of the
smartphone application. If the smokers accept the souvenir, the students will then introduce
this project. For female smokers who are interested to join, the students will assist them to
download the smartphone application, briefly go through its content, and encourage them to
use it. To remind the female smokers to continuously use the smartphone application for
smoking cessation, warning messages about the hazardous effects of smoking will pop up weekly
in their smartphones.
