Evaluating specific plans to increase smoking quit attempts

ISRCTN ISRCTN11610200
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN11610200
Submission date
02/10/2014
Registration date
27/11/2014
Last edited
13/07/2023
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Mental and Behavioural Disorders
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Smoking is the greatest cause of ill health with approximately 18% of deaths in England being associated with smoking. Providing people with incentives (e.g., money, vouchers) seems to be an effective way of helping people to quit smoking, but incentives administered by others may alter underlying motivation to quit and result in people starting up smoking again. Encouraging people to reward themselves (e.g., inviting friends round) could overcome these difficulties, yet people seem reluctant to do this. The aim of this study is to test if such “self-incentives” result in an increase in the number of people already attending community stop smoking services, and workplaces, quitting the habit. The study investigates whether an “if-when” plan (e.g., If I successfully abstain from smoking for a week, then I will reward myself by inviting friends around) can help people to stop smoking, what kind of self-incentives do lead people to stop smoking and the ideal rate of self-incentivising towards successfully quitting smoking.

Who can participate?
Any person aged 18 years or over who has approached one of the participating stop smoking services (or workplaces) and is smoking at the time of enrolment on to the program

What does the study involve?
Participants are randomly allocated into one of four groups. Those in group 1 (active control) are asked to form a plan to help them to quit smoking. Those in group 2 (active control) are asked to link suitable temptations to smoke with an appropriate response (using a list of 20 temptations and 20 responses through a planner known as the volitional help sheet). Those in group 3 (intervention) are asked to complete an 'if-then' plan which includes a self-incentive that can be used for each week that they have successfully quit smoking. Those in group 4 (intervention) are asked to complete an 'if-then' plan which includes a self-incentive that can be used for each month that they have successfully quit smoking. Participants are also asked about their smoking habits, nicotine dependence, thoughts, feelings and motivation towards the smoking quit attempts at the start of the trial, at the end of the trial (12 weeks later), and 6 months after the start of the trial. The repetition and agreement to self-incentivising are measured at the end of the trial and 6 months after the start of the trial.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants who complete an 'if-then' plan which includes a self-incentive may benefit from their participation by the intervention helping them to successfully quit smoking. There are no risks to taking part in the study.

Where is the study run from?
The stop smoking services in which participants are recruited are held in various health and community centres across North West England (UK). The workplaces in which participants are recruited are based in North West England (UK).

When is the study starting and how long is it expected to last?
October 2014 to September 2020

Who is funding the study?
University of Manchester (UK)

Who is the main contact?
Emma Brown
Emma.Brown@uea.ac.uk

Contact information

Prof Chris Armitage
Scientific

Manchester Centre for Health Psychology
School of Health Sciences
Division of Psychology and Mental Health
University of Manchester
Coupland Street
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
United Kingdom

Email chris.armitage@manchester.ac.uk
Miss Emma Brown
Public

School of Health Sciences
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
University of East Anglia
Edith Cavell Building
Norwich
NR4 7UL
United Kingdom

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0002-4753-3774
Email Emma.Brown@uea.ac.uk

Study information

Study designMulti-site parallel randomised controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised parallel trial
Study setting(s)Community
Study typePrevention
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleThe role of self-incentives in smoking cessation: a randomised controlled trial in community-based stop smoking services
Study objectivesThe main hypotheses are that:
1. Self-incentives will increase the number of participants who successfully quit smoking at follow-up.
2. Self-incentivising at the end of the week will be more effective at aiding smoking cessation than self-incentivising at the end of the month.
3. Providing smokers with self-incentives will be more effective at aiding smoking cessation than asking smokers to generate their own self-incentives.
4. Specific implementation intentions will be more effective at aiding smoking cessation than general implementation intentions.
Ethics approval(s)

Approved 12/09/2014, North West - Greater Manchester West Research Ethics Committee (3rd Floor, Barlow House, 4 Minshull Street, Manchester, M1 3DZ, United Kingdom; +44 207 1048007; gmwest.rec@hra.nhs.uk), ref: 14/NW/1262

Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedA psychological health intervention within a smoking population
InterventionParticipants will be randomised to one of four groups:
1. To form a plan to help to quit smoking (active control)
2. To complete the volitional help sheet (active control)
3. To complete an 'if-then' plan which includes a self-incentive that can be used for each week that they have successfully quit smoking (intervention)
4. To complete an 'if-then' plan which includes a self-incentive that can be used for each month that they have successfully quit smoking (intervention)
Intervention typeBehavioural
Primary outcome measureIncrease in smoking quit status at six-months post baseline (self-reported)
Secondary outcome measures1. Increase in smoking quit status at the end of the trial (12 weeks after baseline)
2. Changes in nicotine dependence (using the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence) at the end of the trial and 6 months post baseline
3. Changes in smoking behaviour (using the Glover-Nilsson Smoking Behavior Questionnaire) at the end of the trial and 6 months post baseline
4. Changes in intention to quit smoking (using a three item scale taken from Armitage, 2008) at the end of the trial and 6 months post baseline
5. Changes in self-efficacy to quit smoking (using a three item scale taken from Armitage, 2008) at the end of the trial and 6 months post baseline
6. Changes in self-regulatory effort to quit smoking (using a six item scale taken from Armitage (2008) at the end of the trial and 6 months post baseline
7. Frequency of self-incentivising (using a measure adapted from Armitage, 2014) at the end of the trial and 6 months post baseline
8. Kinds of self-incentives used (using a measure adapted from Armitage, 2014) at the end of the trial and 6 months post baseline
Overall study start date15/10/2014
Completion date30/09/2020

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participants477 across the three RCTs
Total final enrolment633
Key inclusion criteria1. Aged 18 or over
2. Able to understand written and verbal English
3. Competent to provide informed consent
4. Attending one of the stop smoking services or workplaces currently involved in the trial
Key exclusion criteria1. Under 18 years of age
2. Unable to understand written and verbal English
3. Not competent to provide informed consent
4. Attending a stop smoking service or workplace which isn't within those listed above
Date of first enrolment02/12/2014
Date of final enrolment30/09/2020

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • England
  • United Kingdom

Study participating centre

University of Manchester
Manchester
M13 9PL
United Kingdom

Sponsor information

University of Manchester
University/education

c/o Nalin Thakker
Oxford Road
Manchester
M13 9PL
England
United Kingdom

Email research-governance@manchester.ac.uk
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/027m9bs27

Funders

Funder type

University/education

University of Manchester (UK)
Government organisation / Universities (academic only)
Alternative name(s)
The University of Manchester, University of Manchester UK, University of Manchester in United Kingdom, UoM
Location
United Kingdom

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing plan

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article results 28/03/2019 Yes No
HRA research summary 28/06/2023 No No

Editorial Notes

13/07/2023: The total final enrolment was added.
30/07/2018: Publication reference added.
26/10/2017: The target number of participants was changed from 4140 to 477 across the three RCTs.
20/07/2017: The overall trial end date was changed from 30/09/2016 to 30/09/2020.