What is the mechanism of action of this treatment?

Interactive, bilingual, and culturally tailored mobile messaging interventions, like those studied in the Quitxt trial, work by providing personalized support and motivation to quit smoking. These messages often include educational content, coping strategies, and reminders to stay on track, which help patients manage cravings and reinforce their commitment to quit. The cultural tailoring ensures that the content is relevant and resonates with the patient's background, increasing engagement and effectiveness. This matters for smoking cessation patients because it addresses both the psychological and social aspects of addiction, making it more likely for them to succeed in quitting smoking.

What side effects are associated with this type of intervention?

Common treatments for smoking cessation include pharmacotherapy (e.g., nicotine replacement therapy, varenicline, bupropion), behavioral interventions (e.g., counseling, support groups), and mobile-based interventions (e.g., text messaging programs). For mobile-based interventions like Quitxt, side effects are minimal and primarily involve potential issues such as message fatigue or reduced engagement over time. In contrast, pharmacotherapy can have side effects such as nausea, insomnia, and vivid dreams (varenicline), dry mouth and insomnia (bupropion), and local irritation (nicotine patches or gum). Behavioral interventions generally have no direct side effects but may require significant time and emotional investment.

What prior FDA approvals exist?

The FDA has approved several pharmacotherapies for smoking cessation, including nicotine replacement therapies (NRTs) like patches, gums, and lozenges, as well as prescription medications such as bupropion and varenicline. These treatments are often used in conjunction with behavioral interventions, which can include counseling and support programs. While the FDA has not specifically approved mobile or text-based interventions like Quitxt, these methods are increasingly being studied and utilized due to their potential to provide interactive, bilingual, and culturally tailored support to diverse populations. Such digital interventions aim to enhance accessibility and adherence to smoking cessation programs.

What other types of research exist?

<ol> <li>Vive sin Tabaco... ¡Decídete! - A personalized and interactive mobile smoking cessation intervention developed for Mexican smokers, showing feasibility and acceptability in a pilot study.</li> <li></li> </ol> Decídetexto - A mobile smoking cessation intervention in Puerto Rico that includes a tablet-based software for individualized quit plans and a 24-week text messaging counseling program. 3. Facebook Chat Application - An interactive chat-based intervention for Spanish-speaking young adults in South Texas, leveraging social media for smoking cessation support.

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Behavioral Intervention

Mobile Text Messaging Support for Smoking Cessation

N/A

Waitlist Available

Led By Patricia Chalela, DrPH

Research Sponsored by The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio

Eligibility Criteria Checklist

Specific guidelines that determine who can or cannot participate in a clinical trial

Must have

Be between 18 and 65 years old

Timeline

Screening 3 weeks

Treatment Varies

Follow Up 1 month and 3 months

Awards & highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

Summary

This trial tests Quitxt, a mobile program that sends supportive texts and chat messages to help young Latino adults quit smoking. The study focuses on this group because they have high smoking rates and face significant health risks. Quitxt aims to boost users' confidence and skills to quit smoking through culturally relevant messages. Text messaging programs on mobile phones have shown some promise in helping people quit smoking.

Who is the study for?

This study is for Latino young adults aged 18-29 who smoke at least one cigarette a day, want to quit smoking, own a cell phone with text and internet capabilities, and can provide follow-up data. They should not be in another cessation program or planning to move from the study area during the trial.

What is being tested?

The Quitxt research study tests a mobile text messaging intervention designed to help young Latino adults stop smoking. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either interactive Quitxt messages or standard texts with cessation content plus referral to an existing state health service program.

What are the potential side effects?

Since this trial involves text messaging interventions for smoking cessation rather than medication, there are no direct medical side effects. However, participants may experience typical nicotine withdrawal symptoms such as irritability, cravings, or difficulty concentrating.

Timeline

Screening ~ 3 weeks3 visits

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~ 1 month and 3 months

Screening ~ 3 weeks

Treatment ~ Varies

Follow Up ~1 month and 3 months

This trial's timeline: 3 weeks for screening, Varies for treatment, and 1 month and 3 months for reporting.

Treatment Details

Study Objectives

Study objectives can provide a clearer picture of what you can expect from a treatment.

Primary study objectives

Smoking cessation

Secondary study objectives

Smoking cessation assessment

Awards & Highlights

No Placebo-Only Group

All patients enrolled in this study will receive some form of active treatment.

Trial Design

2Treatment groups

Experimental Treatment

Group I: Usual careExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Abbreviated text messaging with smoking cessation-related content and referral to the Texas Department of State Health Services (TDSHS) cessation program Yes Quit (www.yesquit.org) available to smokers seeking help quitting. The abbreviated text messaging will include general information on smoking harms and benefits of cessation, and baseline data collection and follow-up assessments.

Group II: Quitxt bilingual text messaging and chatExperimental Treatment1 Intervention

Culturally and linguistically tailored, bilingual text messaging or chat mobile app. Our text messaging or chat intervention will include messaging options in which users can text or message a code when they are craving a cigarette or at risk of relapse and immediately receive text or social media messages to help them avoid smoking. The social media content also will include opportunities for users to repeatedly visit key content pages and receive immediate support when experiencing cravings, stress, bad mood, or when feeling at risk of smoking.

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Research Highlights

Information in this section is not a recommendation. We encourage patients to speak with their healthcare team when evaluating any treatment decision.

Mechanism Of Action

Side Effect Profile

Prior Approvals

Other Research

Interactive, bilingual, and culturally tailored mobile messaging interventions, like those studied in the Quitxt trial, work by providing personalized support and motivation to quit smoking. These messages often include educational content, coping strategies, and reminders to stay on track, which help patients manage cravings and reinforce their commitment to quit. The cultural tailoring ensures that the content is relevant and resonates with the patient's background, increasing engagement and effectiveness. This matters for smoking cessation patients because it addresses both the psychological and social aspects of addiction, making it more likely for them to succeed in quitting smoking.

An international survey: Tobacco smoking cessation strategies within left ventricular assist device centers.Mobile phone-based messaging for tobacco cessation in low and middle-income countries: A systematic review.Culturally-tailored text-messaging intervention for smoking cessation in rural American Indian communities: Rationale, design, and methods.