Tailored text-messaging versus standard Quitline telephone counselling for smoking cessation among people who smoke from a low-socio-economic status background in Australia: A study protocol for a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial (The Quit By Phone Study)

Bridget C. Howard; Sorcha Donnelly; Hayden McRobbie; Daniel Barker; Dennis Petrie; Emily Stockings; Jamie Brown; Felix Naughton; Robyn Whittaker; Anthony Shakeshaft; Kieran Patel; Jack Anderson; Dennis Thomas; Robert West; Ryan J. Courtney

doi:10.1111/add.16662

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Tailored text-messaging versus standard Quitline telephone counselling for smoking cessation among people who smoke from a low-socio-economic status background in Australia: A study protocol for a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial (The Quit By Phone Study)

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Tailored text-messaging versus standard Quitline telephone counselling for smoking cessation among people who smoke from a low-socio-economic status background in Australia: A study protocol for a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial (The Quit By Phone Study)

Bridget C. Howard, Sorcha Donnelly, Hayden McRobbie, Daniel Barker, Dennis Petrie, Emily Stockings, Jamie Brown, Felix Naughton, Robyn Whittaker, Anthony Shakeshaft, …

Addiction , Vol.120(1), pp.174-183

2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/add.16662

PMID: 39279642

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Abstract

Effectiveness

randomized controlled trial

smoking cessation

social disadvantage

text-messaging

tobacco

Background and aims Signficant inequalities in tobacco smoking exist, with higher smoking rates among people from low-socio-economic status (low-SES) populations. Tailored technology-based programs for low-SES smoking populations have the potential for high reach, but require effectiveness data from large-scale trials. This trial among Australians who smoke from a low-SES background will determine the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of tailored text-message (TTM) support compared with standard Quitline (SQL) telephone support service. Design, setting and participants This is a two-arm, parallel group, randomized, non-inferiority trial with allocation concealment and blinded outcome assessment in an Australian population within the greater Sydney region in New South Wales. Participants are adults who smoke daily (n = 1246), are interested in quitting and currently receiving a government pension or allowance and will be recruited via advertisements. Intervention and comparator Participants will be randomized (1:1 ratio) to receive either 12 months of TTM quit support or enrolment in SQL telephone support. Measurements Assessments will be completed at baseline (telephone interview), within 1 month (check-in call), at 3 months (on-line questionnaire) and 12 months (telephone interview) post-randomization. The primary outcome will be 6-month continuous abstinence verified by carbon monoxide breath test at 12-month follow-up. The study will test whether TTM is non-inferior to SQL by a non-inferiority margin of 2%, i.e. the quit rate in the TTM group will be no worse than 2% less than the quit rate in the SQL group. Secondary outcomes will include self-reported continuous and point prevalence abstinence and acceptability and cost-effectiveness of TTM versus SQL. Conclusion Should the tailored text-message support prove non-inferior and more cost-effective than Quitline for this population, this will provide an opportunity for the upscaling of an effective, inexpensive and tailored quit support service. The trial findings will inform cessation treatment policy for priority populations in Australia and globally.

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Title: Tailored text-messaging versus standard Quitline telephone counselling for smoking cessation among people who smoke from a low-socio-economic status background in Australia: A study protocol for a non-inferiority randomized controlled trial (The Quit By Phone Study)
Authors: Bridget C. Howard (Corresponding Author) - UNSW Sydney
Sorcha Donnelly - UNSW Sydney
Hayden McRobbie - UNSW Sydney
Daniel Barker - Hunter Medical Research Institute
Dennis Petrie - Monash University
Emily Stockings - The University of Sydney
Jamie Brown - University College London
Felix Naughton - University of East Anglia
Robyn Whittaker - University of Auckland
Anthony Shakeshaft - The University of Queensland
Kieran Patel - UNSW Sydney
Jack Anderson - UNSW Sydney
Dennis Thomas - Hunter Medical Research Institute
Robert West - University College London
Ryan J. Courtney - UNSW Sydney
Publication details: Addiction , Vol.120(1), pp.174-183
Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd.
Date published: 2025
DOI: 10.1111/add.16662
ISSN: 1360-0443
PMID: 39279642
Copyright note: This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.© 2024 The Author(s). Addiction published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society for the Study of Addiction.
Data Availability: Trial data are available on request to the Principal Investigator of the study.
Grants: A non-inferiority trial of tailored text messaging versus quitline for smoking cessation among low-socioeconomic status smokers, 1162583, National Health and Medical Research Council (Australia, Canberra) - NHMRC
Grant note: The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre at the University of New South Wales is supported by funding from the Australian Government under the Substance Misuse Prevention and Service Improvements Grants Fund. R.J.C. is supported by a National Heart Foundation Future Leader Fellowship (105983)
Organisation Unit: School of Health - Psychology
Language: English
Record Identifier: 991242154402621
Output Type: Journal article

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