Twitter-enabled Mobile Messaging for Smoking Relapse Prevention (Tweet2Quit)
Condition: Smoking Cessation
Study type: Interventional
Phase: Phase 2

Summary: 
      Tweet2Quit is an innovative smoking cessation intervention that combines real-time online
      peer-to-peer support with auto messaging. In a three-group randomized controlled trial, the
      investigators will compare: 1) usual care, 2) Tweet2Quit-coed, and 3) Tweet2Quit-Women only.
    

Detailed description: 
      The proposed randomized controlled evaluation (N=960) of the Tweet2Quit intervention will
      biochemically verify abstinence out to 6-months follow-up and will test the personalized
      benefit for women of a women-only versus co-ed Tweet2Quit group. In a 3-arm design, the
      investigators will compare: 1) usual care, 2) Tweet2Quit-coed, and 3) Tweet2Quit-Women only.

      Each Tweet2Quit group will include buddy pairs based on similarity in demographics. Also
      automated pattern detection will identify dips in tweeting and trigger automated alerts and
      engagement strategies.

      The primary aims tests Hypothesis 1: Relative to usual care (n=240), Tweet2Quit-coed groups
      (n=480) will achieve significantly greater bioconfirmed sustained abstinence out to 6-months
      follow-up for each gender, and Hypothesis 2: Women in Tweet2Quit will achieve significantly
      greater bioconfirmed 6-months abstinence in woman-only groups (n=240) vs. coed groups (n=240
      women).

      Our secondary aims are to test the same hypotheses based on 3-month (end of treatment)
      sustained abstinence and 7-day point prevalence at 1, 3, and 6 months with biochemical
      verification at 3 and 6 months. Exploratory aims will study the Tweet2Quit groups' social
      network structures with a focus on the identification of buddy pairs and social brokers and
      test if these relationships are stronger for women in women-only groups versus women in coed
      groups of Tweet2Quit.

      *Prior to the start of the RCT, the investigators will run one coed pilot group (N=20). Total
      size of the study (including the pilot group) will be N=980.
    

Intervention name(s): NRT; Web Guide; Tweet2Quit
Intervention type(s): Drug; Behavioral; Behavioral
Intervention description(s): 8-weeks of study provided NRT patch, and 8-weeks of study provided NRT gum of varying strengths or 8-weeks of study provided NRT lozenges, depending on patient level of nicotine dependence.; A website that will provide participants with access to an evidence-based set of "base" treatment materials in one central location. The site will include information on the proper use of nicotine patches, gum, lozenges, and it will have a direct link for participants to access the NCI's Smokefree.gov Quit Guide. The website will remind participants about quit dates and send alerts via email to participants to complete the appropriate NCI Quit Guide modules.; A fully automated, 90-day quit smoking intervention that provides an online, peer-to-peer support group for quitting and uses twice-daily automessages to encourage and direct the peer-to-peer exchanges. Each group will consist of 12 buddy pairs (matched on key demographics) that will be introduced via automated texts. The program will generate twice-daily programmed contacts (e.g., "what benefits do you hope to get from quitting smoking?"). Automated pattern detection software will identify and address any problematic low tweeting within a group.
Other intervention name(s): Nicotine Replacement Therapy
Intervention MeSH terms: Nicotine
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)
Primary purpose: Treatment
Keywords: Smoking; Social Media; Twitter; Behavior Change; Social Support