~30 spots leftby May 2026

Health Literacy Interventions for Smoking

Recruiting in Palo Alto (17 mi)
Lorna H. McNeill | MD Anderson Cancer ...
Overseen byLorna McNeill
Age: 18+
Sex: Any
Travel: May Be Covered
Time Reimbursement: Varies
Trial Phase: Academic
Waitlist Available
Sponsor: M.D. Anderson Cancer Center
No Placebo Group

Trial Summary

What is the purpose of this trial?

Objectives: Smokers with varying levels of health literacy as assessed by the S-TOFHLA (i.e., inadequate, marginal, adequate) recruited from the community will listen to one of 4 different types of messages emphasizing the health consequences of smoking recorded on a computer in the form of audio scripts (i.e., a human voice pre-recorded on a computer will read each message). Messages written at a 5th to 6th grade reading level will be concurrently presented in written form via a computer monitor and be manipulated in terms of 1) emotionality (i.e., primarily fact- vs. primarily emotion-based), and 2) framing (i.e., gain-framed messages that highlight the potential benefits of quitting smoking vs. loss-framed messages that emphasize the potential costs of failing to quit smoking). Emotionality and framing will be completely crossed to create four different types of messages, 1) factual gain-framed (FGF), 2) factual loss-framed (FLF), 3) emotional gain-framed (EGF), and 4) emotional loss-framed (ELF). The primary objectives are to: 1. Examine whether main effects emerge for health literacy as assessed by the S-TOFHLA (inadequate, marginal, adequate) and the different message types (fact- vs. emotion-based and gain- vs. loss-framed) on the primary explicit and implicit outcomes: a) intention to quit, and b) implicit and explicit attitudes toward smoking. 2. Examine whether health literacy interacts with the different types of messages (fact-based vs. emotion-based and gain-framed vs. loss-framed) to influence the primary explicit and implicit outcome measures: a) intention to quit smoking, and b) implicit and explicit attitudes toward smoking. A secondary, exploratory aim is to: 3. Examine potential associations between a) the primary explicit and implicit outcomes, and b) the secondary explicit and implicit outcomes: knowledge, risk perception, attitudes, self-efficacy, message evaluations, implicit fear of disease, and implicit associations between smoking and disease.

Research Team

Lorna H. McNeill | MD Anderson Cancer ...

Lorna McNeill

Principal Investigator

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Eligibility Criteria

This trial is for English-speaking smokers aged 18 to 70 who have smoked at least 5 cigarettes daily over the past year. They must have a home address, phone number, and not be using nicotine replacements or enrolled in cessation programs.

Inclusion Criteria

I currently smoke at least 5 cigarettes a day and have been doing so for the last year.
I have a home address and a working phone at home.
I am between 18 and 70 years old.
See 1 more

Exclusion Criteria

Current enrollment in a smoking cessation treatment program
Expired CO less than 10 ppm
I am currently using nicotine replacement therapy or bupropion.

Treatment Details

Interventions

  • Focus Group (Behavioural Intervention)
  • Questionnaire (Behavioural Intervention)
Trial OverviewThe study tests how different types of messages about smoking risks affect smokers' intentions to quit and their attitudes towards smoking. It uses audio scripts with matching text that vary by emotionality (fact-based vs. emotional) and framing (benefits of quitting vs. costs of not quitting).
Participant Groups
4Treatment groups
Experimental Treatment
Group I: Factual Loss-FramedExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Smoking Risk Message - Factual Loss-Framed (FLF)
Group II: Factual Gain-FramedExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Smoking Risk Message - Factual Gain-Framed (FGF)
Group III: Emotional Loss-FramedExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Smoking Risk Message - Emotional Loss-Framed (ELF)
Group IV: Emotional Gain-FramedExperimental Treatment2 Interventions
Smoking Risk Message - Emotional Gain-Framed (EGF)

Find a Clinic Near You

Who Is Running the Clinical Trial?

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Lead Sponsor

Trials
3,107
Recruited
1,813,000+
Dr. Peter WT Pisters profile image

Dr. Peter WT Pisters

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Chief Executive Officer since 2017

MD from University of Western Ontario

Dr. Jeffrey E. Lee profile image

Dr. Jeffrey E. Lee

M.D. Anderson Cancer Center

Chief Medical Officer

MD from Stanford University School of Medicine

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Collaborator

Trials
14,080
Recruited
41,180,000+
Dr. Douglas R. Lowy profile image

Dr. Douglas R. Lowy

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Chief Executive Officer since 2023

MD from New York University School of Medicine

Dr. Monica Bertagnolli profile image

Dr. Monica Bertagnolli

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Chief Medical Officer since 2022

MD from Harvard Medical School