Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40394536›Full record

ArticleBMC public health2025

Smoking cessation message testing to inform app-based interventions for young adults - an online experiment.

Josef Hamoud, Janardan Devkota, Timothy Regan, Amanda Luken, Joseph Waring, Jasmin Jiuying Han, Felix Naughton, Roger Vilardaga, Jonathan Bricker, Carl Latkin and 2 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC public health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

12 authors.

Josef HamoudFaculty of Medicine, Department of Medical Statistics, University of Gottingen, Gottingen, Germany.
Janardan DevkotaDepartment of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
Timothy ReganDepartment of Medical and Clinical Psychology, School of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, USA.
Amanda LukenDepartment of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
Joseph WaringDepartment of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
Jasmin Jiuying HanDepartment of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
Felix NaughtonAddiction Research Group, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Roger VilardagaDepartment of Implementation Science, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Winston-Salem, USA.
Jonathan BrickerFred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, USA.
Carl LatkinDepartment of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
Meghan MoranDepartment of Health, Behavior and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA.
Johannes ThrulDepartment of Mental Health, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, USA. jthrul@jhu.edu.

Funding

NIDA Epidemiology Training Program: Johns Hopkins UniversityT32DA007292 · NIDA · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI RENEE M. JOHNSON, Brion S Maher · 1993 to 2026
$17.7M
Testing the impact of smartphone-based messaging to support young adult smoking cessationR01CA246590 · NCI · JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY · PI THRUL, JOHANNES · 2020 to 2025
$1.8M
Increasing the population-level impact of a digital therapeutic for smokers with psychiatric illnessK02DA054304 · NIDA · WAKE FOREST UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · PI Roger Vilardaga · 2022 to 2026
$629k
NCI NIH HHS NCI; R01 CA246590NCI NIH HHS R01 CA246590NIDA NIH HHS K02 DA054304NIDA NIH HHS NIDA; T32 DA007292NIDA NIH HHS T32 DA007292
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTo improve the efficacy of digital smoking cessation interventions for young adults, intervention messages need to be acceptable and appropriate for this population. The current study compared ratings of smoking cessation and urge reduction messages based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (distraction themed) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (acceptance themed) in young adults who smoke.

methodsA total of 124 intervention messages were rated by an online Qualtrics panel of N = 301 diverse young adults who currently smoked tobacco cigarettes (Age M = 26.6 years; 54.8% male; 51.5% racial/ethnic minority; 16.9% sexual or gender minority (SGM); 62.5% daily smoking). Each participant rated 10 randomly selected messages (3,010 total message ratings; 24.3 ratings per message) on 5-point scales (higher scores representing more favorable ratings) evaluating quality of content, quality of design, perceived support for coping with smoking urges, and perceived support for quitting smoking. Mixed models examined associations between message category (distraction vs. acceptance), participant level predictors (sociodemographic variables, readiness and motivation to quit, daily smoking, psychological flexibility), and message ratings.

resultsOverall ratings ranged from M = 3.61 (SD = 1.25) on support for coping with urges to M = 3.90 (SD = 1.03) on content, with no differences between distraction and acceptance messages. Male participants gave more favorable ratings on the dimensions of support for coping (p < 0.01) and support for quitting (p < 0.01). Participants identifying as SGM gave lower ratings for message design (p < 0.05). Participants with a graduate degree gave higher ratings on support for coping with urges and support for quitting (both p < 0.05). Higher motivation to quit was associated with more favorable scores across all dimensions (all p < 0.01). Those smoking daily rated messages as less helpful for coping with urges (p < 0.01) and quitting smoking (p < 0.05) compared to those smoking non-daily. Few interactions were found between message category distraction vs. acceptance and participant characteristics.

conclusionsDistraction and acceptance messages received similar ratings among young adults who smoke cigarettes. Message revisions may be needed to increase appeal to women, SGM, those with lower education, and those less motivated to quit. Messages will be refined and used in an ongoing micro-randomized trial to investigate their real-time impact on smoking urges and behaviors.

Indexed as

Mobile ApplicationsSmoking CessationAcceptance and Commitment TherapyAdultCognitive Behavioral TherapyFemaleHumansMaleMotivationYoung AdultCommunicationEvaluationMessagesMobile healthSmoking cessation

Identifiers

PMID40394536
PMCPMC12090558

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.