Effect of Helpers Program On-line Training on Smoking Relapse and Social Networks

Launched by UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, DENVER · Nov 29, 2022

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This trial is testing whether an online training program called Helpers Stay Quit can help people who recently quit smoking stay smoke-free longer by teaching them how to positively influence others in their social circle to quit. It’s a randomized study, meaning participants are assigned by chance to either receive the Helpers Stay Quit training plus usual Quitline support or usual Quitline care alone. About 940 adults who have not smoked for 2 to 8 weeks and who have internet access (and can read and text in English) are expected to enroll, at the University of Colorado Anschutz in Aurora, Colorado. The researchers keep results blinded so the person analyzing the data doesn’t know which group a participant was in.

If you participate, you’ll be followed for 12 months. Those in the Helpers Stay Quit group get online training on how to have non-confrontational conversations to help others quit and to support their own abstinence. Everyone will report their smoking status at 3, 6, 9, and 12 months, including how many days they smoked. The study also looks at relapse timing and frequency and how many “helping conversations” were offered. A subset of participants may provide a dried blood spot to test cotinine to biochemically confirm abstinence. The study is overseen by a data monitoring committee and does not involve a drug or medical device.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • 18 years or older
• • Abstinent from smoking for between 14 and 60 days
• • Primary tobacco use is cigarettes
• • Has access to Internet via computer or mobile device
• • Self-described proficiency with English
• • Willing and able to send/receive weekly text messages using personal mobile phone plan
• • Will allow Quitline to share their client data with research team
• • Willing to complete online surveys at baseline, 3-, 6-, 9- and 12 months
• • Willing to self-collect dried blood spot and send back to research team
• • If assigned to Helpers Stay Quit condition, willing to complete training within 14 days
• • If selected, willing to participate in qualitative interview
• • Willing to forego any other training for tobacco cessation intervention/support (i.e., to become a cessation counselor/facilitator or support person, e.g., 'quit buddy') for the duration of their study enrollment
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • Any prior exposure to Helpers training or other cessation training in the previous 2 years