Smoking CessationNCT05430451
Simple Physical Exercise With Instant Messaging Support for Smoking Via "Quit to Win" Contest 2022 (QTW2022)
A study testing AWARD advice, Referral card and Self-help smoking cessation booklet in people with Smoking Cessation, run by The University of Hong Kong at 1 site in China.
Trial summary
This project aims to test the effectiveness of an integrated intervention of brief cessation advice (AWARD) and simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support compared with control participants among current smokers who joined the contest. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- Smoking Cessation
- What is being tested?
- AWARD advice, Referral card and Self-help smoking cessation booklet
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,031 participants
- Where
- 1 siteChina
- Study dates
- 18 Jun 2022to 31 Dec 2023
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above
- Smoke at least 1 tobacco stick (includes HTP) per day or use e-cigarette daily in the preceding 3-month
- Able to communicate in Chinese (including reading Chinese in IM)
- Saliva cotinine 30 ng/ml or above
- Intent to quit / reduce smoking
- Able to use the instant messaging tool (e.g., WhatsApp, WeChat) for communication.
Who cannot join
- Smokers who have communication barriers (either physically or cognitively)
- Smokers who are currently participating in other SC programmes or services
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
China1 site
Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health (COSH)
Hong Kong, Hong Kong, 852
About this study
Official title: Building Capacity and Promoting Smoking Cessation in the Community Via "Quit to Win" Contest 2022: Simple Physical Exercise With Instant Messaging Support for Smoking Cessation
This project aims to test the effectiveness of an integrated intervention of brief cessation advice (AWARD) and simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support compared with control participants among current smokers who joined the contest.
Read the detailed description
Although smoking prevalence is decreasing in Hong Kong, it accounts for over 7,000 deaths per year and a large amount of medical cost, long-term care, and productivity loss of US$ 688 million (0.6% Hong Kong GDP). Quitting is difficult because nicotine is highly addictive. Long-term habitual tobacco smoking could foster a series of physical and psychological dependence on nicotine, and thus induce cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms when remaining abstinent.
In addition to pharmacotherapy and behavioral counseling, exercise has shown promising effects on reducing craving, cigarette consumption, withdrawal symptoms, and increasing intention and attempt to quit. Randomized trials on smoking cessation have shown that vigorous or moderate exercise (including aerobics, brisk walking, and weightlifting) increases tobacco abstinence. However, these exercise-based smoking cessation trials were small-scaled with sample sizes ranging from 20 to 543, and mainly targeted the smokers who were motivated to quit (active treatment seekers). Most (15/20) of the vigorous or moderate exercises adopted in the smoking cessation trials required the participants to attend multiple exercise sessions (at least weekly for 5 months) under supervision or self-monitoring using equipment (e.g., pedometers) with a low proportion (<50%) of the participants achieved targeted level of attendance and exercise. The effects were short-term (end of treatment) and long-term (6 months or above) effects were uncertain, and cannot be generated in smokers who had low motivation to quit.
Mobile health (mHealth) is now a part of the World Health Organization's (WHO) strategies on combating smoking (http://www.who.int/tobacco/mhealth/en/) and has been used in many countries given its low cost and popular use. Instant messaging (IM) applications (apps) (e.g., WhatsApp, WeChat) are compatible with smartphones and allow sending interactive messages such as text, photos, video, animation, and files. The widespread availability of IM apps allows healthcare professionals to deliver health information and behavioral interventions through messaging. The QTW Contest 2017 using chat-based psychosocial support through IM apps effectively increased short-term (end of treatment, 3 months) and long-term (6 months since intervention initiation) smoking abstinence.
The chat-based IM support has the potential to support the use of other treatment components. The investigators aimed to test (1) the effectiveness of an integrated intervention of brief cessation advice (AWARD), simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support compared with control participants among current smokers; (2) to explore participants' experience and perceptions towards the intervention.
- Conditions
- Smoking Cessation
- Being tested
- AWARD advice, Referral card, Self-help smoking cessation booklet, Simple physical exercise training, Simple physical exercises with instant messaging support
- Keywords
- Smoking cessation, Physical exercise, Instant messaging support, mHealth
- Medical subject headings
- Smoking Cessation, Motor Activity
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
AWARD adviceBehavioural
Ask about smoking history, Warn about the high risk of smoking, Advise to quit as soon as possible, Refer to the smoking cessation services, and Do it again (if the smokers refused to set quit date).
Referral cardBehavioural
The content consists of brief information and highlights of existing smoking cessation services, contact methods, motivation information, and strong supporting messages or slogans.
Self-help smoking cessation bookletBehavioural
The contents include information about the benefits of quitting, smoking and diseases, methods to quit, how to handle withdrawal symptoms, declaration of quitting, etc.
Simple physical exercise trainingBehavioural
The simple exercises consist of a) Zero-time exercises (ZTEx), b) handgrip exercises, and c) resistance exercises. Participants will receive handgrips and elastic bands, and trained smoking cessation ambassadors will demonstrate and encourage the use of handgrip and elastic bands onsite with an instruction leaflet.
Simple physical exercises with instant messaging supportBehavioural
During the 3-month instant messaging support, smoking cessation counselors will deliver regular messages to encourage the practices of simple physical exercise, provide strategies for managing craving and withdrawal symptoms, and provide information on smoking-related knowledge and available smoking cessation services. Our trained smoking cessation counselors will also provide real-time support upon participants' inquiries.
SMSBehavioural
SMS on follow-up survey reminders
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Brief cessation advice (AWARD) + simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support | Experimental | The integrated intervention of brief cessation advice (AWARD), and simple physical exercise practices with Instant Messaging (IM) support for craving management Receives: Behavioral: AWARD advice; Behavioral: Referral card; Behavioral: Self-help smoking cessation booklet; Behavioral: Simple physical exercise training; Behavioral: Simple physical exercises with instant messaging support |
| Brief cessation advice (AWARD) | Active comparator | Brief cessation advice (AWARD) Receives: Behavioral: AWARD advice; Behavioral: Referral card; Behavioral: Self-help smoking cessation booklet; Behavioral: SMS |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Biochemically validated abstinence
Defined as exhaled CO level <4ppm and saliva cotinine level ≤30 ng/ml
Measured: 3-month follow-up
Biochemically validated abstinence
Defined as exhaled CO level <4ppm and saliva cotinine level ≤30 ng/ml
Measured: 6-month follow-up
Secondary outcomes (7)
Physical exercise level
Measured by international physical activity questionnaire - short form (IPAQ-SF). The scale assesses the types and intensity of physical activity and sitting time that people do as part of their daily lives (during the last 7 days) are considered to estimate total physical activity in metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-min/week and time spent sitting.
Measured: 3-month follow-up
Physical exercise level
Measured by international physical activity questionnaire - short form(IPAQ-SF). The scale assesses the types and intensity of physical activity and sitting time that people do as part of their daily lives (during the last 7 days) are considered to estimate total physical activity in metabolic equivalent of task (MET)-min/week and time spent sitting.
Measured: 6-month follow-up
Smoking quit rate change from baseline at 3-month follow-up
Self-reported 7-day point prevalence (pp) quit rate at 3-month between the two groups
Measured: 3-month follow-up
Smoking quit rate change from baseline at 6-month follow-up
Self-reported 7-day point prevalence (pp) quit rate at 6-month between the two groups
Measured: 6-month follow-up
Smoking reduction rate change from baseline at 3-month follow-up
Rate of smoking reduction by at least half of baseline amount in the two groups
Measured: 3-month follow-up
Smoking reduction rate change from baseline at 6-month follow-up
Rate of smoking reduction by at least half of baseline amount in the two groups
Measured: 6-month follow-up
Intervention compliance at the end of treatment at 3 months follow-up
Rate of self-reported practice and frequency of simple physical exercise, IM engagement (replied for at least 2 messages confirmed by the conversation log)
Measured: 3-month follow-up
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted24 Jun 2022
- Study start18 Jun 2022
- Primary completion30 Sep 2023 (estimated)
- Study completion31 Dec 2023 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (1)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Smoking CessationStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by The University of Hong KongThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Outcomes assessor
- Enrolment
- 1,031 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Hong Kong
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Dr. Wang Man-Ping, The University of Hong Kong
- Investigators
- Man Ping Wang, PhD, Principal investigator, The University of Hong Kong
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05430451
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- QTW2022
- Status last verified
- Aug 2023
- First submitted
- 16 Jun 2022
- Last updated
- 14 Aug 2023
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Zhao SZ, Li MY, Li YJ, Luk TT, Cheung DYT, Lai AYK, Tong HSC, Lai VWY, Lam TH, Wang MP. Mobile instant messaging supported brief physical exercise intervention for smoking cessation: a community-based, cluster randomised controlled trial. Thorax. 2026 Jul 15;81(8):774-783. doi: 10.1136/thorax-2025-224130.
PubMed 41513451
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 14 Aug 2023. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Building Capacity and Promoting Smoking Cessation in the Community Via "Quit to Win" Contest 2022: Simple Physical Exercise With Instant Messaging Support for Smoking Cessation
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT05430451
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- QTW2022
- Conditions
- Smoking Cessation
- Keywords
- Smoking cessation, Physical exercise, Instant messaging support, mHealth
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Unknown status
- Enrolment
- 1,031 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- The University of Hong KongUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Hong Kong Council on Smoking and Health
- Study start
- 18 Jun 2022 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 30 Sep 2023 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 31 Dec 2023 (estimated)
- First posted
- 24 Jun 2022 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This project aims to test the effectiveness of an integrated intervention of brief cessation advice (AWARD) and simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support compared with control participants among current smokers who joined the contest.
Detailed description
Although smoking prevalence is decreasing in Hong Kong, it accounts for over 7,000 deaths per year and a large amount of medical cost, long-term care, and productivity loss of US$ 688 million (0.6% Hong Kong GDP). Quitting is difficult because nicotine is highly addictive. Long-term habitual tobacco smoking could foster a series of physical and psychological dependence on nicotine, and thus induce cravings and nicotine withdrawal symptoms when remaining abstinent.
In addition to pharmacotherapy and behavioral counseling, exercise has shown promising effects on reducing craving, cigarette consumption, withdrawal symptoms, and increasing intention and attempt to quit. Randomized trials on smoking cessation have shown that vigorous or moderate exercise (including aerobics, brisk walking, and weightlifting) increases tobacco abstinence. However, these exercise-based smoking cessation trials were small-scaled with sample sizes ranging from 20 to 543, and mainly targeted the smokers who were motivated to quit (active treatment seekers). Most (15/20) of the vigorous or moderate exercises adopted in the smoking cessation trials required the participants to attend multiple exercise sessions (at least weekly for 5 months) under supervision or self-monitoring using equipment (e.g., pedometers) with a low proportion (<50%) of the participants achieved targeted level of attendance and exercise. The effects were short-term (end of treatment) and long-term (6 months or above) effects were uncertain, and cannot be generated in smokers who had low motivation to quit.
Mobile health (mHealth) is now a part of the World Health Organization's (WHO) strategies on combating smoking (http://www.who.int/tobacco/mhealth/en/) and has been used in many countries given its low cost and popular use. Instant messaging (IM) applications (apps) (e.g., WhatsApp, WeChat) are compatible with smartphones and allow sending interactive messages such as text, photos, video, animation, and files. The widespread availability of IM apps allows healthcare professionals to deliver health information and behavioral interventions through messaging. The QTW Contest 2017 using chat-based psychosocial support through IM apps effectively increased short-term (end of treatment, 3 months) and long-term (6 months since intervention initiation) smoking abstinence.
The chat-based IM support has the potential to support the use of other treatment components. The investigators aimed to test (1) the effectiveness of an integrated intervention of brief cessation advice (AWARD), simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support compared with control participants among current smokers; (2) to explore participants' experience and perceptions towards the intervention.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Health services research
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Single blind (outcomes assessor)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Brief cessation advice (AWARD) + simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support | Experimental | Behavioral: AWARD advice, Behavioral: Referral card, Behavioral: Self-help smoking cessation booklet, Behavioral: Simple physical exercise training, Behavioral: Simple physical exercises with instant messaging supportThe integrated intervention of brief cessation advice (AWARD), and simple physical exercise practices with Instant Messaging (IM) support for craving management |
| Brief cessation advice (AWARD) | Active comparator | Behavioral: AWARD advice, Behavioral: Referral card, Behavioral: Self-help smoking cessation booklet, Behavioral: SMSBrief cessation advice (AWARD) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (6 listed)
- Hong Kong residents aged 18 or above
- Smoke at least 1 tobacco stick (includes HTP) per day or use e-cigarette daily in the preceding 3-month
- Able to communicate in Chinese (including reading Chinese in IM)
- Saliva cotinine 30 ng/ml or above
- Intent to quit / reduce smoking
Key exclusion criteria (2 listed)
- Smokers who have communication barriers (either physically or cognitively)
- Smokers who are currently participating in other SC programmes or services
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| AWARD adviceAsk about smoking history, Warn about the high risk of smoking, Advise to quit as soon as possible, Refer to the smoking cessation services, and Do it again (if the smokers refused to set quit date). | Behavioural | Brief cessation advice (AWARD), Brief cessation advice (AWARD) + simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support |
| Referral cardThe content consists of brief information and highlights of existing smoking cessation services, contact methods, motivation information, and strong supporting messages or slogans. | Behavioural | Brief cessation advice (AWARD), Brief cessation advice (AWARD) + simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support |
| Self-help smoking cessation bookletThe contents include information about the benefits of quitting, smoking and diseases, methods to quit, how to handle withdrawal symptoms, declaration of quitting, etc. | Behavioural | Brief cessation advice (AWARD), Brief cessation advice (AWARD) + simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support |
| Simple physical exercise trainingThe simple exercises consist of a) Zero-time exercises (ZTEx), b) handgrip exercises, and c) resistance exercises. Participants will receive handgrips and elastic bands, and trained smoking cessation ambassadors will demonstrate and encourage the use of handgrip and elastic bands onsite with an instruction leaflet. | Behavioural | Brief cessation advice (AWARD) + simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support |
| Simple physical exercises with instant messaging supportDuring the 3-month instant messaging support, smoking cessation counselors will deliver regular messages to encourage the practices of simple physical exercise, provide strategies for managing craving and withdrawal symptoms, and provide information on smoking-related knowledge and available smoking cessation services. Our trained smoking cessation counselors will also provide real-time support upon participants' inquiries. | Behavioural | Brief cessation advice (AWARD) + simple physical exercise with Instant Messaging (IM) support |
| SMSSMS on follow-up survey reminders | Behavioural | Brief cessation advice (AWARD) |
Primary outcome
Biochemically validated abstinence
Time frame: 3-month follow-up
Defined as exhaled CO level <4ppm and saliva cotinine level ≤30 ng/ml
Biochemically validated abstinence
Time frame: 6-month follow-up
Defined as exhaled CO level <4ppm and saliva cotinine level ≤30 ng/ml
7 secondary outcomes
Physical exercise level
Time frame: 3-month follow-up
Physical exercise level
Time frame: 6-month follow-up
Smoking quit rate change from baseline at 3-month follow-up
Time frame: 3-month follow-up
Smoking quit rate change from baseline at 6-month follow-up
Time frame: 6-month follow-up
Smoking reduction rate change from baseline at 3-month follow-up
Time frame: 3-month follow-up
Smoking reduction rate change from baseline at 6-month follow-up
Time frame: 6-month follow-up
Intervention compliance at the end of treatment at 3 months follow-up
Time frame: 3-month follow-up
Results and safety
Results are not available in the source record.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 14 Aug 2023.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 41513451Zhao SZ, Li MY, Li YJ, Luk TT, Cheung DYT, Lai AYK, Tong HSC, Lai VWY, Lam TH, Wang MP. Mobile instant messaging supported brief physical exercise intervention for smoking cessation: a community-based, cluster randomised controlled trial. Thorax. 2026 Jul 15;81(8):774-783. doi: 10.1136/thorax-2025-224130.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Man Ping Wang, PhD principal investigator
The University of Hong Kong
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing AWARD advice, Referral card and Self-help smoking cessation booklet in people with Smoking Cessation, run by The University of Hong Kong at 1 site in China.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 6 inclusion and 2 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: status not confirmed, as of the sponsor's last update on 14 Aug 2023. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in China. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
Results are not available in the source record.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Biochemically validated abstinence (time frame: 3-month follow-up). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT05430451, which also lists 1 linked publication.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 14 Aug 2023; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 30 Oct 2026.