Recruitment Messages for Current Smokers Recently Diagnosed With Cancer

A Multimethod Evaluation of Tobacco Treatment Trial Recruitment Messages for Current Smokers Recently Diagnosed With Cancer: Pilot Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial

The objective of this study was to conduct a pilot factorial randomized trial to identify the message frames that are most effective in promoting participation in a tobacco treatment trial for current smokers recently diagnosed with cancer. To do so, we used a multimethod approach to evaluate 3 different message frames across evaluation, effectiveness, and outcome measures. We combine findings from a message design experiment with textual analytic software to provide a holistic understanding of how message frames may or may not differentially affect tobacco treatment trial participation within the context of a cancer diagnosis.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Tobacco Smoking; Health Behavior
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Control; Behavioral: Proximal; Behavioral: Cost; Behavioral: Loss; Behavioral: Gain; Behavioral: Benefit; Behavioral: Distal

Detailed Description

Background: A cancer diagnosis can catalyze motivation to quit smoking. Tobacco treatment trials offer cessation resources but have low accrual rates. Digital outreach may improve accrual, but knowledge of how best to recruit smokers with recent diagnoses is limited.

Objective: This study aims to identify the message frames that were most effective in promoting intent to talk to a physician about participating in a tobacco treatment trial for smokers recently diagnosed with cancer.

Methods: From February to April 2019, current smokers diagnosed within the past 24 months were recruited from a national web-based panel for a multimethod pilot randomized trial (N=99). Participants were randomized to a 2×3 plus control factorial design that tested 3 unique message frames: proximal versus distal threats of smoking, costs of continued smoking versus benefits of quitting, and gains of participating versus losses of not participating in a tobacco treatment trial.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 99
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • Oklahoma
    • Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, United States, 73104
      • Jordan Neil

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Speak and understand English
• A recent cancer diagnosis (within the past 24 months)
• 18 years or older
• Report any cigarette use within the past 30 days

Exclusion Criteria:

• Do not speak or understand English
• Have not been diagnosed with cancer within the past 24 months
• Below the age of 18
• Does not report any cigarette use within the past 30 days

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Supportive Care
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

9

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Sham Comparator: Control; The control condition was a kernel message that included study information present in all conditions but did not include any of the message factors.	Behavioral: Control; Does not include any of the three message factors.
Experimental: Proximal x Cost x Loss; Message frame: proximal threats of smoking, cost of continued smoking, and loss of not participating in a tobacco treatment trial.	Behavioral: Proximal; The first factor tested framing of the near, proximal threat of continued smoking.; Behavioral: Cost; Cost framework measures the response efficacy to quitting smoking by displaying costs of continued smoking.; Behavioral: Loss; The third factor tested framing of the response efficacy of participating in a cessation study by utilizing loss of not participating in a smoking cessation.
Experimental: Proximal x Cost x Gain; Message frame: proximal threats of smoking, cost of continued smoking, and gain of participating in a tobacco treatment trial.	Behavioral: Proximal; The first factor tested framing of the near, proximal threat of continued smoking.; Behavioral: Cost; Cost framework measures the response efficacy to quitting smoking by displaying costs of continued smoking.; Behavioral: Gain; The third factor tested framing of the response efficacy of participating in a cessation study by utilizing gain of participating in a smoking cessation.
Experimental: Proximal x Benefit x Gain; Message frame: proximal threats of smoking, benefits of quitting, and gain of participating in a tobacco treatment trial.	Behavioral: Proximal; The first factor tested framing of the near, proximal threat of continued smoking.; Behavioral: Gain; The third factor tested framing of the response efficacy of participating in a cessation study by utilizing gain of participating in a smoking cessation.; Behavioral: Benefit; Benefit framework measures the response efficacy to quitting smoking by displaying benefits of quitting.
Experimental: Proximal x Benefit x Loss; Message frame: proximal threats of smoking, benefits of quitting, and loss of not participating in a tobacco treatment trial.	Behavioral: Proximal; The first factor tested framing of the near, proximal threat of continued smoking.; Behavioral: Loss; The third factor tested framing of the response efficacy of participating in a cessation study by utilizing loss of not participating in a smoking cessation.; Behavioral: Benefit; Benefit framework measures the response efficacy to quitting smoking by displaying benefits of quitting.
Experimental: Distal x Cost x Gain; Message frame: distal threats of smoking, cost of continued smoking, and gain of participating in a tobacco treatment trial.	Behavioral: Cost; Cost framework measures the response efficacy to quitting smoking by displaying costs of continued smoking.; Behavioral: Gain; The third factor tested framing of the response efficacy of participating in a cessation study by utilizing gain of participating in a smoking cessation.; Behavioral: Distal; The first factor tested framing of the long-term, distal threat of continued smoking.
Experimental: Distal x Cost x Loss; Message frame: distal threats of smoking, cost of continued smoking, and loss of not participating in a tobacco treatment trial.	Behavioral: Cost; Cost framework measures the response efficacy to quitting smoking by displaying costs of continued smoking.; Behavioral: Loss; The third factor tested framing of the response efficacy of participating in a cessation study by utilizing loss of not participating in a smoking cessation.; Behavioral: Distal; The first factor tested framing of the long-term, distal threat of continued smoking.
Experimental: Distal x Benefit x Loss; Message frame: distal threats of smoking, benefits of quitting, and loss of not participating in a tobacco treatment trial.	Behavioral: Loss; The third factor tested framing of the response efficacy of participating in a cessation study by utilizing loss of not participating in a smoking cessation.; Behavioral: Benefit; Benefit framework measures the response efficacy to quitting smoking by displaying benefits of quitting.; Behavioral: Distal; The first factor tested framing of the long-term, distal threat of continued smoking.
Experimental: Distal x Benefit x Gain; Message frame: distal threats of smoking, benefits of quitting, and gain of participating in a tobacco treatment trial.	Behavioral: Gain; The third factor tested framing of the response efficacy of participating in a cessation study by utilizing gain of participating in a smoking cessation.; Behavioral: Benefit; Benefit framework measures the response efficacy to quitting smoking by displaying benefits of quitting.; Behavioral: Distal; The first factor tested framing of the long-term, distal threat of continued smoking.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Difference in intent to talk to a physician about participating in a smoking cessation study between factors.	The main effect within each message factor level was examined using ANOVA and compared with the control condition.	Within 30 minutes

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Predictors of intent to talk to a physician about participating in a smoking cessation study.	Other message evaluation and effectiveness measures were collected and explored in a multivariable model predicting intent to talk to a physician.	Within 30 minutes

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University of Oklahoma
• Collaborators: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center; Massachusetts General Hospital; Tufts University
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Jordan Neil, Ph.D., TSET Health Promotion Research Center

Publications and helpful links

General Publications

• Neil JM, Senecal C, Ballini L, Chang Y, Goshe B, Flores E, Ostroff JS, Park ER. A Multimethod Evaluation of Tobacco Treatment Trial Recruitment Messages for Current Smokers Recently Diagnosed With Cancer: Pilot Factorial Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Cancer. 2022 Aug 24;8(3):e37526. doi: 10.2196/37526.

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): February 11, 2019
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2019
• Study Completion (Actual): April 2, 2019

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: July 13, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): July 22, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 22, 2022
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2022
• Last Verified: July 1, 2022

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Cancer; Tobacco use; Factorial Design; Digital outreach; Multimethod randomized trial; Message Frames; Smoker enrollment rates
• Other Study ID Numbers: 2018P002035

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