ArticleTobacco induced diseases2023
Effect of smoking-related COVID-19 risk messaging on smoking cessation in community smokers: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial.
Article in Tobacco induced diseases, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 9 citations in OpenAlex.
- The Effectiveness of Instant Messaging-Based Interventions on Health Behavior Change: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Worldviews on evidence-based nursing · 2025Pooled it
- Chatbot-Led Support Combined With Counselor-Led Support on Smoking Cessation in China: Protocol for a Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR research protocols · 2024Article
- Mobile Phone-Based Personalized and Interactive Augmented Reality Pictorial Health Warnings for Enhancing a Brief Advice Model for Smoking Cessation: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.JMIR XR and spatial computing · 2024Article
- Engaging and supporting young adults in smoking cessation: Insights from a mobile-based cessation program in China.Digital healthArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
introductionObservational and experimental studies have suggested that messaging on smoking-related COVID-19 risk may promote smoking abstinence, but evidence from randomized clinical trials (RCTs) is lacking.
methodsThis was a pragmatic RCT in Hong Kong, China, to compare the effectiveness of communicating smoking-related COVID-19 risk with generic cessation support on abstinence. Both groups received brief cessation advice at baseline. The intervention group received messaging on smoking-related COVID-19 risk and cessation support via instant messaging for three months (16 messages in total), which highlighted the increased risk of severe COVID-19 and deaths, and potentially higher risk of viral exposure (e.g. due to mask removal) for smokers. The control group received generic text messaging support for three months (16 messages). The primary outcomes were biochemically validated 7-day point prevalence abstinence (PPA) at 3 and 6 months. Intention to treat analyses was used.
resultsBetween 13 June and 30 October 2020, 1166 participants were randomly assigned to an intervention (n=583) or control (n=583) group. By intention-to-treat, validated 7-day PPA did not significantly differ between the intervention and control groups at three months (9.6% and 11.8%, relative risk, RR=0.81; 95% CI: 0.58-1.13, p=0.22) or six months (9.3% and 11.7%, RR=0.79; 95% CI: 0.57-1.11, p=0.18). A higher perceived severity of COVID-19 in smokers at baseline was associated with a greater validated 7-day PPA at six months, and a marginally significant intervention effect on changes in perceived severity from baseline through 6 months was found (p for group × time interaction = 0.08).
conclusionsCommunicating smoking-related COVID-19 risk via instant messaging was not more effective in increasing smoking abstinence than generic cessation support.
trial registrationThe study is registered on ClinicalTrials.gov
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