Evaluation of a Workplace Smoking Cessation Program in Hong Kong (Phase VI)

Evaluation of a Workplace Smoking Cessation Program in Hong Kong: a Pragmatic Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial of Mobile Supported Simple Physical Exercise for Smoking Cessation

This study aims to test, by a 2-arm RCT, the effectiveness of an intervention that includes mobile phone-supported simple physical exercise for smoking cessation in workplaces in Hong Kong.

Study Overview

• Status: Active, not recruiting
• Conditions: Exercise; Smokers; Workplace
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: regular text-based intervention; Behavioral: mobile phone-based simple physical exercise reminder to help quit smoking

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Estimated): 646
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Hong Kong
  • Hong Kong, Hong Kong
    • School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 85 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above
2. Smoke at least 1 cigarette per day or use other tobacco products (EC, HTP and others) daily
3. Able to communicate in Cantonese/Mandarin and read Chinese
4. Able to use instant messaging tools (e.g. WhatsApp) for communication
5. Stay in Hong Kong during the intervention and follow-up periods (12 months)

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Smokers who are psychologically or physically unable to communicate
2. Currently joining other smoking cessation program(s)
3. Smokers who cannot tolerate the proposed exercise program
4. Smokers who have severe mental illnesses

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

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

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Placebo Comparator: regular text-based intervention; The control group will receive 6 regular messages via IM at twice per month within 3 months. These messages cover simple cessation advice and reminders for telephone follow-ups.	Behavioral: regular text-based intervention; The control group will receive 6 regular messages via IM at twice per month within 3 months. These messages cover simple cessation advice and reminders for telephone follow-ups.
Experimental: mobile phone-based simple physical exercise intervention; Regular messages supporting participants in practicing simple physical exercises and assist in managing cravings will be sent to participants via IM apps and scheduled in a tapering manner for 3 months (twice per week in the first month to once per week in the third month). Images and videos explaining and demonstrating the simple physical exercises will be sent to the participants via IM apps, which serves as a reminder and supporting materials for participants. The benefits of exercise in SC will be explained. The investigators will also encourage the practice of moderate/ vigorous exercises to further improve the physical activity and well-being of the participants. Various delivery formats of messages will be considered to attract participants' interest such as text, emojis, voice, image, animation, and video. The simple exercises consist of a) Zero-time exercises (ZTEx), b) handgrip exercises and c) resistance exercises.	Behavioral: mobile phone-based simple physical exercise reminder to help quit smoking; Regular messages supporting participants in practicing simple physical exercises and assist in managing cravings will be sent to participants via IM apps and scheduled in a tapering manner for 3 months (twice per week in the first month to once per week in the third month). Images and videos explaining and demonstrating the simple physical exercises will be sent to the participants via IM apps, which serves as a reminder and supporting materials for participants. The benefits of exercise in SC will be explained. The investigator will also encourage the practice of moderate/ vigorous exercises to further improve the physical activity and well-being of the participants. Various delivery formats of messages will be considered to attract participants' interest such as text, emojis, voice, image, animation, and video. The simple exercises consist of a) Zero-time exercises (ZTEx), b) handgrip exercises and c) resistance exercises.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self-reported 7-day point-prevalence abstinence (PPA) at 6-months follow-up	Self-reported abstinence in the past 7 days at 6-months after treatment initiation	at 6-month after treatment initiation (3 months after the end of treatment)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: The University of Hong Kong
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Man Ping WANG, PhD, School of Nursing, The University of Hong Kong Hong Kong, Hong Kong China

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): January 1, 2023
• Primary Completion (Estimated): June 30, 2024
• Study Completion (Estimated): December 30, 2024

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 23, 2023
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 24, 2023
• First Posted (Actual): March 7, 2023

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): December 13, 2023
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: December 6, 2023
• Last Verified: December 1, 2023

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: Exercise; intervention; Workplace; mhealth; smokers
• Other Study ID Numbers: SCPW Phase 6

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Participant data (IPD) will only be used for data analysis by the investigators, kept strictly confidential, and not disclosed to anyone outside the research group.

Drug and device information, study documents

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