Smoking BehaviorsNCT06485479
Effective Ads for Quitting Smoking
A study testing Intervention ads in people with Smoking Behaviors, run by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The main purpose of this trial is to identify effective quit smoking ads for people who smoke menthol cigarettes. Investigators will conduct an online randomized trial with a nationally representative sample of ~1,400 US adults (ages 21+) who smoke menthol cigarettes. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 21 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Smoking Behaviors
- What is being tested?
- Intervention ads
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 1,236 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 5 Sep 2024to 21 Oct 2024
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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 21 years and older
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- Currently smoke menthol cigarettes
- Be a member of the AmeriSpeak online survey panel or their convenience sample
- Live in the US
- Be age 21 years or older
- Read and speak English
Who cannot join
- Not currently smoke menthol cigarettes
- Not be a member of the AmeriSpeak online survey panel or their convenience sample
- Not live in the US
- Be younger than age 21 years
- Not be able to read and speak English
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
University of North Carolina
Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27599
About this study
Official title: Identifying Effective Ads to Encourage Quitting Smoking Among People Who Smoke Menthol Cigarettes
The main purpose of this trial is to identify effective quit smoking ads for people who smoke menthol cigarettes. Investigators will conduct an online randomized trial with a nationally representative sample of ~1,400 US adults (ages 21+) who smoke menthol cigarettes.
Read the detailed description
This trial will evaluate the effectiveness of efficacy-based quit smoking ads in a 5 (theme) x 6 (ad) mixed factorial randomized design.
Recruitment: A survey company will recruit ~1,400 participants. Participants will complete a screener to confirm that they are US adults (ages 21+), currently smoke menthol cigarettes, and are able to read and speak English. A portion of the sample will be nationally representative, and a portion will be a convenience sample.
Informed Consent: The consent form will appear on the first page of the survey. Participants will provide their consent to be in the trial by clicking on a button that forwards to the next page of the survey.
Randomization: After consent, the survey software will randomize participants to 1 of 5 themes between-subjects. The design will include 3 intervention ad themes about quitting smoking (self-efficacy ads, response efficacy ads, or motivation ads) and 2 control ad themes about neutral non-smoking related topics (reading or password safety).
Each participant will view 6 ads on their assigned theme, presented in a random order.
Assessment: Participants will complete a ~15 minute online survey one time.
- Conditions
- Smoking Behaviors
- Being tested
- Intervention ads, Control ads
- Medical subject headings
- Smoking
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Intervention adsBehavioural
The ads will be on topics to encourage quitting smoking, formatted as multi-color text with graphic elements. Trial investigators developed the ads and optimized them to be readable when delivered in an SMS text message.
Control adsBehavioural
The ads will be on topics unrelated to quitting smoking, formatted as black text on a white field. Trial investigators developed the ads and optimized them to be readable when delivered in an SMS text message.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Ads about response efficacy for quitting smoking | Experimental | Participants will view ads designed to increase response efficacy for quitting cigarettes. Receives: Behavioral: Intervention ads |
| Ads about self-efficacy for quitting smoking | Experimental | Participants will view ads designed to increase self-efficacy to quit smoking. Receives: Behavioral: Intervention ads |
| Ads about motivation to quit smoking | Experimental | Participants will view ads designed to increase motivation to quit smoking. Receives: Behavioral: Intervention ads |
| Ads about reading | Other | Participants will view non-smoking related ads on the benefits of reading. Receives: Behavioral: Control ads |
| Ads about passwords | Other | Participants will view non-smoking related ads on passwords. Receives: Behavioral: Control ads |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Perceived Message Effectiveness for Motivation
Perceived effectiveness of the ads at encouraging quitting smoking, measured by 1 survey item for each ad (6 items total). Range 1 to 5, with higher values indicating higher perceived message effectiveness.
Measured: During exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Secondary outcomes (5)
Perceived Message Effectiveness for Response Efficacy
Perceived effectiveness of the ads at communicating the benefits of quitting smoking, measured by 1 survey item for each ad (6 items total). Range 1 to 5, with higher values indicating higher perceived message effectiveness.
Measured: During exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Perceived Message Effectiveness for Self-efficacy
Perceived effectiveness of the ads at creating confidence that one can quit smoking, measured by 1 survey item for each ad (6 items total). Range 1 to 5, with higher values indicating higher perceived message effectiveness.
Measured: During exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Intentions to Quit Smoking
Motivation to quit smoking, measured by 1 survey item. Range 1 to 5, with higher values indicating higher intentions to quit smoking.
Measured: After exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Response Efficacy
Belief that quitting smoking improves health, measured by 1 survey item. Range 1 to 5, with higher values indicating higher response efficacy.
Measured: After exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Self-efficacy
Confidence that one can quit smoking, measured by 1 survey item. Range 1 to 5, with higher values indicating higher self-efficacy.
Measured: After exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted3 Jul 2024
- Study start5 Sep 2024
- Primary completion21 Oct 2024
- Study completion21 Oct 2024
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Smoking BehaviorsStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 1,236 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
- Investigators
- Noel Brewer, PhD, Principal investigator, University of North Carolina, Chapel HillMarissa G Hall, PhD, Principal investigator, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06485479
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 23-2450
- Other IDs
- U54DA060049
- Status last verified
- Oct 2025
- First submitted
- 26 Jun 2024
- Last updated
- 3 Nov 2025
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Yes: The trial investigators will produce a de-identified dataset and codebook for sharing with external investigators, making use of the UNC Dataverse digital data repository (dataverse.unc.edu) hosted by the Odum Institute Data Archive.
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 3 Nov 2025. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Identifying Effective Ads to Encourage Quitting Smoking Among People Who Smoke Menthol Cigarettes
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06485479
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 23-2450
- Conditions
- Smoking Behaviors
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 1,236 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer CenterUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Food and Drug Administration (FDA), National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
- Study start
- 5 Sep 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 21 Oct 2024 (actual)
- Study completion
- 21 Oct 2024 (actual)
- First posted
- 3 Jul 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 3 Nov 2025
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
The main purpose of this trial is to identify effective quit smoking ads for people who smoke menthol cigarettes. Investigators will conduct an online randomized trial with a nationally representative sample of ~1,400 US adults (ages 21+) who smoke menthol cigarettes.
Detailed description
This trial will evaluate the effectiveness of efficacy-based quit smoking ads in a 5 (theme) x 6 (ad) mixed factorial randomized design.
Recruitment: A survey company will recruit ~1,400 participants. Participants will complete a screener to confirm that they are US adults (ages 21+), currently smoke menthol cigarettes, and are able to read and speak English. A portion of the sample will be nationally representative, and a portion will be a convenience sample.
Informed Consent: The consent form will appear on the first page of the survey. Participants will provide their consent to be in the trial by clicking on a button that forwards to the next page of the survey.
Randomization: After consent, the survey software will randomize participants to 1 of 5 themes between-subjects. The design will include 3 intervention ad themes about quitting smoking (self-efficacy ads, response efficacy ads, or motivation ads) and 2 control ad themes about neutral non-smoking related topics (reading or password safety).
Each participant will view 6 ads on their assigned theme, presented in a random order.
Assessment: Participants will complete a ~15 minute online survey one time.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 5
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Ads about response efficacy for quitting smoking | Experimental | Behavioral: Intervention adsParticipants will view ads designed to increase response efficacy for quitting cigarettes. |
| Ads about self-efficacy for quitting smoking | Experimental | Behavioral: Intervention adsParticipants will view ads designed to increase self-efficacy to quit smoking. |
| Ads about motivation to quit smoking | Experimental | Behavioral: Intervention adsParticipants will view ads designed to increase motivation to quit smoking. |
| Ads about reading | Other | Behavioral: Control adsParticipants will view non-smoking related ads on the benefits of reading. |
| Ads about passwords | Other | Behavioral: Control adsParticipants will view non-smoking related ads on passwords. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 21 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Currently smoke menthol cigarettes
- Be a member of the AmeriSpeak online survey panel or their convenience sample
- Live in the US
- Be age 21 years or older
- Read and speak English
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- Not currently smoke menthol cigarettes
- Not be a member of the AmeriSpeak online survey panel or their convenience sample
- Not live in the US
- Be younger than age 21 years
- Not be able to read and speak English
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Intervention adsThe ads will be on topics to encourage quitting smoking, formatted as multi-color text with graphic elements. Trial investigators developed the ads and optimized them to be readable when delivered in an SMS text message. | Behavioural | Ads about motivation to quit smoking, Ads about response efficacy for quitting smoking, Ads about self-efficacy for quitting smoking |
| Control adsThe ads will be on topics unrelated to quitting smoking, formatted as black text on a white field. Trial investigators developed the ads and optimized them to be readable when delivered in an SMS text message. | Behavioural | Ads about passwords, Ads about reading |
Primary outcome
Perceived Message Effectiveness for Motivation
Time frame: During exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Perceived effectiveness of the ads at encouraging quitting smoking, measured by 1 survey item for each ad (6 items total). Range 1 to 5, with higher values indicating higher perceived message effectiveness.
5 secondary outcomes
Perceived Message Effectiveness for Response Efficacy
Time frame: During exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Perceived Message Effectiveness for Self-efficacy
Time frame: During exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Intentions to Quit Smoking
Time frame: After exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Response Efficacy
Time frame: After exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Self-efficacy
Time frame: After exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 3 Nov 2025.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Clinical TrialsLink provided by the sponsor.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Yes. The trial investigators will produce a de-identified dataset and codebook for sharing with external investigators, making use of the UNC Dataverse digital data repository (dataverse.unc.edu) hosted by the Odum Institute Data Archive.
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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.
Noel Brewer, PhD principal investigator
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
Marissa G Hall, PhD principal investigator
University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Intervention ads in people with Smoking Behaviors, run by UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center at 1 site in United States.
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 5 inclusion and 5 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: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 3 Nov 2025. 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 United States. 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?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 3 Nov 2025). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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?
Perceived Message Effectiveness for Motivation (time frame: During exposure to the ads, assessed during one-time online 15-minute survey.). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 3 Nov 2025; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 28 Oct 2026.