Adapt2Quit - An Adaptive Motivational System for Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Smokers (A2Q)

July 6, 2026 updated by: Rajani Sadasivam, University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Adapt2Quit - A Machine-Learning, Adaptive Motivational System: RCT for Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Smokers

The goal of this research is to test the Adapt2Quit computer program that uses participant input (message rating on how much the text motivational message might influence one to quit smoking) to select and text motivational messages that are more likely to help a user stop smoking. This Adapt2Quit system will be compared with a quitline facilitation-only control (text messages will be sent to facilitate quitline use). The primary research hypothesis is that the Adapt2Quit recommender-selected messages will be more effective than a texting quitline facilitation-only control for smoking cessation among socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) smokers.

Study Overview

Status

Completed

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

The Adapt2Quit trial (NCT04720625) is a randomized controlled trial testing a machine-learning-driven text messaging system aimed at increasing smoking cessation rates among socioeconomically disadvantaged adults.

The 6-month study compares an adaptive, personalized motivational messaging intervention against standard Quitline facilitation, utilizing AI to select tailored behavioral prompts based on user feedback.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Actual)

757

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
        • Johns Hopkins University
    • Massachusetts
      • Springfield, Massachusetts, United States, 01199
        • Baystate Health
      • Worcester, Massachusetts, United States, 01655
        • University of Massachusetts Medical School

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 99 years (Adult, Older Adult)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Current smoker
  • Socioeconomically disadvantaged (SED) (using the following criteria: unemployed or underemployed, low income as defined by the federal poverty level guidelines, uninsured or underinsured, and/or have less than a high school education)
  • English-speaking
  • Active in care (at least two clinical visits in the last year)
  • Have a texting-enabled cell phone

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Not a current smoker
  • Adults unable to consent
  • Individuals who are not yet adults (infants, children, teenagers)
  • Prisoners
  • Pregnant women
  • Pilot study participants

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Triple

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Adapt2Quit
These participants will receive Adapt2Quit motivational messaging and quitline facilitation messaging for 6 months.
Behavioral: Adapt2Quit
Motivational text messages and quitline facilitation text messages will be sent to participants; these participants will receive Adapt2Quit (experimental) messages as well as quitline facilitation messages.
Active Comparator: Control
These participants will receive quitline facilitation-only messaging for 6 months.
Behavioral: Control
Quitline facilitation text messages will be sent to participants; these participants will receive quitline facilitation-only messages.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants With Biochemically Verified 7-Day Point Prevalence Tobacco Abstinence at 6 Months
Time Frame: 6-months post-randomization
Participants who self-reported no tobacco use in the past 7 days at the 6-month follow-up underwent biochemical verification using the CoVita Smokerlyzer breath carbon monoxide (CO) monitor. Participants with a CO measurement of ≤6 ppm were classified as abstinent; those with a CO measurement of >6 ppm were classified as tobacco users.
6-months post-randomization

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Number of Participants With Self-Reported 7-Day Point Prevalence Cigarette Abstinence at 6 Months
Time Frame: 6-months post-randomization
Self-reported cigarette abstinence was assessed at the 6-month follow-up using the question: "Do you currently smoke cigarettes, even one puff in the last 7 days?" Participants who answered "No" were classified as self-reported abstinent.
6-months post-randomization

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Massachusetts, Worcester

Collaborators

Johns Hopkins University
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Baystate Health

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: Rajani Sadasivam, PhD, Associate professor

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

June 28, 2021

Primary Completion (Actual)

October 10, 2024

Study Completion (Actual)

March 31, 2025

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 19, 2021

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 19, 2021

First Posted (Actual)

January 22, 2021

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

July 31, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

July 6, 2026

Last Verified

July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • H00018991
  • 1R01CA240551-01A1 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

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

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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