Text Messaging-Based Smoking Cessation Program for Homeless Youth

Unaccompanied homeless youth smoke at much higher rates than non-homeless adolescents and young adults. Many homeless youth smokers are motivated to quit; yet, strategies specifically developed for this vulnerable population are lacking. This study will develop and pilot test a text messaging intervention (also known as a TMI) to help homeless youth quit smoking. Text messaging can provide ongoing support for homeless youth during a quit attempt, which is important given that these youth tend to be highly mobile and lack regular access to health services. Participants in this study will be homeless youth who currently smoke and are motivated to quit smoking. All participants will receive a 30-minute group-based smoking cessation counseling session and a nicotine replacement product. Half of these smokers will also receive the TMI, for 6 weeks following the group counseling session, which will provide ongoing support for quitting. The main goal of this study is to investigate whether receiving the TMI results in greater reductions in cigarette smoking over a 3-month period compared to receiving the group counseling session alone.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Cigarette Smoking
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Group counseling and nicotine replacement; Behavioral: Group counseling, nicotine replacement, and text messaging support

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 77
• Phase: Phase 2; Phase 1

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • California
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90028
      • My Friend's Place
    • Los Angeles, California, United States, 90038
      • Los Angeles LGBT Center Youth Center
    • Venice, California, United States, 90291
      • Safe Place for Youth

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 25 years (Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• between ages of 18-25
• seeking services at one of the participating drop-in centers for homeless youth
• smoked at least 5 cigarettes per day on at least 20 days in the past month
• motivated to quit in next 30 days
• has a cell phone to receive text messages and willing to receive text messages

Exclusion Criteria:

• currently pregnant or breastfeeding, or planning to become pregnant or breastfeed in the next 6 months
• has a medical condition (based on self-report) which would prevent using the nicotine replacement product
• used pharmacotherapy to reduce or stop smoking in the past 30 days
• currently receiving other smoking cessation services

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Standard Condition; Participants in the standard condition will receive a 30-minute group-based smoking cessation counseling session based on the 5 A's approach (Ask; Advise; Assess; Assist; Arrange) and free nicotine replacement.	Behavioral: Group counseling and nicotine replacement; Participants will receive a 30-minute group smoking cessation counseling session and a supply of nicotine replacement.
Experimental: Enhanced Condition; Participants in the standard condition will receive a 30-minute group-based smoking cessation counseling session based on the 5 A's approach (Ask; Advise; Assess; Assist; Arrange), free nicotine replacement, and the 6-week text messaging intervention.	Behavioral: Group counseling, nicotine replacement, and text messaging support; Participants will receive a 30-minute group smoking cessation counseling session, a supply of nicotine replacement, and the 6-week text messaging intervention to provide ongoing support for quitting

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
90 day continuous abstinence	Participants will self-report whether they have smoked any cigarettes between baseline and 3-month follow-up	90 days
7 day abstinence	Participants will self-report whether they have smoked any cigarettes in the past 7 days. Self-reported abstinence will be biochemically verified.	7 days

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: RAND

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Pedersen ER, Linnemayr S, Shadel WG, Zutshi R, DeYoreo M, Cabreros I, Tucker JS. Substance Use and Mental Health Outcomes from a Text Messaging-Based Intervention for Smoking Cessation Among Young People Experiencing Homelessness. Nicotine Tob Res. 2022 Jan 1;24(1):130-134. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntab160.
• Tucker JS, Linnemayr S, Pedersen ER, Shadel WG, Zutshi R, DeYoreo M, Cabreros I. Pilot Randomized Clinical Trial of a Text Messaging-Based Intervention for Smoking Cessation Among Young People Experiencing Homelessness. Nicotine Tob Res. 2021 Aug 29;23(10):1691-1698. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntab055.
• Linnemayr S, Zutshi R, Shadel W, Pedersen E, DeYoreo M, Tucker J. Text Messaging Intervention for Young Smokers Experiencing Homelessness: Lessons Learned From a Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2021 Apr 1;9(4):e23989. doi: 10.2196/23989.
• Tucker JS, Pedersen ER, Linnemayr S, Shadel WG, DeYoreo M, Zutshi R. A text message intervention for quitting cigarette smoking among young adults experiencing homelessness: study protocol for a pilot randomized controlled trial. Addict Sci Clin Pract. 2020 Feb 19;15(1):11. doi: 10.1186/s13722-020-00187-6.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): May 30, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): May 21, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): May 21, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: March 12, 2019
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: March 12, 2019
• First Posted (Actual): March 14, 2019

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 22, 2020
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2020
• Last Verified: July 1, 2020

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Physiological Effects of Drugs; Neurotransmitter Agents; Molecular Mechanisms of Pharmacological Action; Autonomic Agents; Peripheral Nervous System Agents; Cholinergic Agents; Ganglionic Stimulants; Nicotinic Agonists; Cholinergic Agonists; Nicotine
• Other Study ID Numbers: 27IP-0051

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No