Smoking CessationNCT07296848
Health Communications for Adults Smoking Nondaily
A study testing Targeted Smoking Messages in people with Smoking Cessation, run by Bethany Shorey Fennell, PhD at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
The goal of this study is to develop smoking health risk messaging targeted to adults who smoke some days, but not smoke every day (nondaily). The main purpose is to learn what type of smoking health risk messages will be most likely to encourage adults nondaily to quit completely. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and olderHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Smoking Cessation
- What is being tested?
- Targeted Smoking Messages
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 320 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 17 Apr 2026to Jun 2027
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
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
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult, Older adult
Who may be able to join
- individuals that report smoking at least one combustible cigarette per day on 4-28 days in the past 30 days
- able to read/write in English
- able to give informed consent
- no history of daily smoking
Who cannot join
- enrolled in smoking cessation treatment
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
About this study
The goal of this study is to develop smoking health risk messaging targeted to adults who smoke some days, but not smoke every day (nondaily). The main purpose is to learn what type of smoking health risk messages will be most likely to encourage adults nondaily to quit completely. Aim 1will iteratively obtain qualitative feedback from adults smoking nondaily on initial message designs, resulting in 12 final messages. Aim 2 will test message properties using a 2 (health vs. social messages) x 2 (positive vs. negative messages) between subjects design to ascertain which messages promote proximal outcomes associated with quitting cigarettes (e.g., new knowledge, risk perceptions, motivation and intentions to quit).
- Conditions
- Smoking Cessation
- Being tested
- Targeted Smoking Messages
- Medical subject headings
- Smoking Cessation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Targeted Smoking MessagesBehavioural
Participants will view 3 messages within the assigned condition (PH, PS, NH, NS) in a random order. Each message will be displayed for a minimum of 30 seconds.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Health Messaging (PH) | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Targeted Smoking Messages |
| Negative Health Messaging (NH) | Active comparator | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Targeted Smoking Messages |
| Positive Social Messaging (PS) | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Targeted Smoking Messages |
| Negative Social Messaging (NS) | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Targeted Smoking Messages |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Change in Knowledge
Knowledge will be assessed with items based on the ITC-4 (International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey) that map onto information presented in the messages (e.g., "Does smoking cause…" heart disease, lung cancer in others; Yes, No, I don't know)
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Change in Worry
Worry will be assessed with 4 items, "How [worried, anxious, fearful, concerned] are you about the effects of smoking?" (1=Not at all, 7=Extremely).
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Change in Risk perception
Risk perceptions will be assessed with 3 items, "If you [don't/do] quit smoking for good, what are your chances of ever developing a smoking-related health problem?" and "How susceptible do you feel you are to developing a smoking-related health problem?" (1=Lowest susceptibility, 7=Highest susceptibility). These will be averaged to form a measure of personal absolute risk
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Change in the Contemplation Ladder
Motivation to quit will be measured with the Contemplation Ladder, rating the position on an 11-rung ladder (0-10) corresponding to stages from "no thought of quitting" (0) to "taking action" (10)
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Change in the Motivation to Stop Scale
Motivation to quit will be measured with the Motivation to Stop Scale, Level of motivation to stop smoking is measured with seven response categories ranging from 1 (lowest) to level 7 (highest level of motivation to stop smoking)
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Change in intention to quit
Intention to quit will be measured with the question "What best describes your intent to stop smoking completely, not even a puff?" (1=Never expect to quit, 4=Will quit in the next 30 days)
Measured: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted22 Dec 2025
- Study start17 Apr 2026
- Primary completionJun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completionJun 2027 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Smoking CessationStudies 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
- Double blind
- Who is masked
- Participant, Investigator
- Enrolment
- 320 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Bethany Shorey Fennell, PhD
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Responsible party
- Sponsor-investigator, Bethany Shorey Fennell, PhD, University of Kentucky
- Investigators
- Bethany Shorey Fennell, PhD, Principal investigator, University of Kentucky
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07296848
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- 94633
- Other IDs
- R03CA286623
- Status last verified
- Aug 2026
- First submitted
- 18 Dec 2025
- Last updated
- 27 Aug 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 27 Aug 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Health Communications for Adults Smoking Nondaily
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07296848
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- 94633
- Conditions
- Smoking Cessation
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Enrolling by invitation
- Enrolment
- 320 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Bethany Shorey Fennell, PhDUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Study start
- 17 Apr 2026 (actual)
- Primary completion
- Jun 2027 (estimated)
- Study completion
- Jun 2027 (estimated)
- First posted
- 22 Dec 2025 (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.
The goal of this study is to develop smoking health risk messaging targeted to adults who smoke some days, but not smoke every day (nondaily). The main purpose is to learn what type of smoking health risk messages will be most likely to encourage adults nondaily to quit completely. Aim 1will iteratively obtain qualitative feedback from adults smoking nondaily on initial message designs, resulting in 12 final messages. Aim 2 will test message properties using a 2 (health vs. social messages) x 2 (positive vs. negative messages) between subjects design to ascertain which messages promote proximal outcomes associated with quitting cigarettes (e.g., new knowledge, risk perceptions, motivation and intentions to quit).
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- Double blind (participant, investigator)
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Positive Health Messaging (PH) | Experimental | Behavioral: Targeted Smoking Messages |
| Negative Health Messaging (NH) | Active comparator | Behavioral: Targeted Smoking Messages |
| Positive Social Messaging (PS) | Experimental | Behavioral: Targeted Smoking Messages |
| Negative Social Messaging (NS) | Experimental | Behavioral: Targeted Smoking Messages |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
Key inclusion criteria (4 listed)
- individuals that report smoking at least one combustible cigarette per day on 4-28 days in the past 30 days
- able to read/write in English
- able to give informed consent
- no history of daily smoking
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- enrolled in smoking cessation treatment
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Targeted Smoking MessagesParticipants will view 3 messages within the assigned condition (PH, PS, NH, NS) in a random order. Each message will be displayed for a minimum of 30 seconds. | Behavioural | Negative Health Messaging (NH), Negative Social Messaging (NS), Positive Health Messaging (PH), Positive Social Messaging (PS) |
Primary outcome
Change in Knowledge
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Knowledge will be assessed with items based on the ITC-4 (International Tobacco Control (ITC) Four Country Survey) that map onto information presented in the messages (e.g., "Does smoking cause…" heart disease, lung cancer in others; Yes, No, I don't know)
Change in Worry
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Worry will be assessed with 4 items, "How [worried, anxious, fearful, concerned] are you about the effects of smoking?" (1=Not at all, 7=Extremely).
Change in Risk perception
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Risk perceptions will be assessed with 3 items, "If you [don't/do] quit smoking for good, what are your chances of ever developing a smoking-related health problem?" and "How susceptible do you feel you are to developing a smoking-related health problem?" (1=Lowest susceptibility, 7=Highest susceptibility). These will be averaged to form a measure of personal absolute risk
Change in the Contemplation Ladder
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Motivation to quit will be measured with the Contemplation Ladder, rating the position on an 11-rung ladder (0-10) corresponding to stages from "no thought of quitting" (0) to "taking action" (10)
Change in the Motivation to Stop Scale
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Motivation to quit will be measured with the Motivation to Stop Scale, Level of motivation to stop smoking is measured with seven response categories ranging from 1 (lowest) to level 7 (highest level of motivation to stop smoking)
Change in intention to quit
Time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)
Intention to quit will be measured with the question "What best describes your intent to stop smoking completely, not even a puff?" (1=Never expect to quit, 4=Will quit in the next 30 days)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 27 Aug 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
Related trials for Smoking Cessation
Enrolling by invitationObservational study
Using Smartwatches to Monitor Smoking in Real-life Situations
Smoking
Not yet recruitingObservational study
PROMETHEE: A Shared Interregional Tele-Tobacco Cessation Platform Embedded Within the IMPULSION Lung Cancer Screening Program
Smoking Cessation, Lung Cancer Screening
Not yet recruiting
Impacto 2.0: Mobile Smoking Cessation Across Texas
Cigarette Smoking, Smoking Cessation
Not yet recruiting
Smoking Cessation Program for Lao People With HIV
Smoking Cessation, HIV
RecruitingPhase 3
Studying NMDA and Sigma-1 in Smoking Cessation Treatment (SUMMIT)
Smoking Cessation
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.
Bethany Shorey Fennell, PhD principal investigator
University of Kentucky
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Targeted Smoking Messages in people with Smoking Cessation, run by Bethany Shorey Fennell, PhD 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 4 inclusion and 1 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: enrolling by invitation, as of the sponsor's last update on 27 Aug 2026. 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?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
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?
Change in Knowledge (time frame: Baseline and post-intervention (approximately 1 hour)). The study lists 6 primary outcomes in all. 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 27 Aug 2026.