Usage, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of an mHealth-based integrated modality for smoking cessation interventions in Western China

Shuilian Chu; Zhaohui Tong; Yuntao Zhang; Xianwei Ye; Zhiyan Liu; Hong Chen; Jing Bai; Fengsen Li; Xiaoping Li; Huaizhen Wang; Rui Wang; Xuefeng Wang; Jiachen Li; Siqiao Liang; Ying Nong; Xin Wang; Ahong Wang; Di Zhang; Hang Jing; Lin Feng; Lirong Liang

doi:10.18332/tid/156828

Usage, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of an mHealth-based integrated modality for smoking cessation interventions in Western China

Tob Induc Dis. 2023 Jan 21:21:07. doi: 10.18332/tid/156828. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Shuilian Chu¹, Zhaohui Tong², Yuntao Zhang³, Xianwei Ye⁴, Zhiyan Liu⁵, Hong Chen⁶, Jing Bai⁷, Fengsen Li⁸, Xiaoping Li⁹, Huaizhen Wang¹⁰, Rui Wang², Xuefeng Wang¹¹, Jiachen Li¹, Siqiao Liang⁷, Ying Nong⁷, Xin Wang⁸, Ahong Wang¹², Di Zhang¹, Hang Jing¹, Lin Feng¹, Lirong Liang¹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Research on Tobacco Dependence Therapies, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
² Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Beijing Institute of Respiratory Medicine, Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
³ Department of Respiratory Medicine, People's Hospital of Lhasa Tibet, Lhasa, Tibet Autonomous Region, China.
⁴ Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Guizhou Provincial People's Hospital, Guiyang, China.
⁵ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Xi'an Third Hospital, Xi'an, China.
⁶ Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
⁷ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.
⁸ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumqi, China.
⁹ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, The First People's Hospital of Zunyi, Zunyi, China.
¹⁰ Hospital Management Office, Kashgar Prefecture Second People's Hospital, Kashgar, China.
¹¹ Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Xining Second People's Hospital, Xining, China.
¹² Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Kashgar Prefecture Second People's Hospital, Kashgar, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Many smokers have not accessed professional smoking cessation assistance due to limited smoking cessation services. We developed a novel mHealth-based integrated modality for smoking cessation (WeChat + Quitline modality, WQ modality) and applied it to a large public welfare project (China Western-QUIT Program) in western China. This study evaluated the usage, acceptability, and preliminary effectiveness of the WQ modality in the population of western China.

Methods: A prospective cohort study was conducted between April and August 2021. Smokers or their relatives were recruited through online advertisements and medical staff referrals. After using the services of the WQ modality for one month, the self-reported awareness, use, and satisfaction with each service among the participants were collected by a telephone interview. We also evaluated the self-reported 7-day point prevalence of abstinence (PPA) and quit attempt rate among baseline current smokers. The usage data of each service were downloaded from quitline and WeChat platforms.

Results: Of the 17326 people from western China using the WQ modality, the largest number of users was WeChat official account (11173), followed by WeChat mini program (3734), WeChat group (669), and quitline (541 inbound calls, 605 outbound calls). At one month follow-up, over 70% of participants who completed the baseline survey (n=2221) were aware of WeChat-based services, and over 50% used them. However, the awareness rate (11.1%) and utilization rate (0.5%) of quitline were relatively low. The median satisfaction scores across all services were 9 out of 10 points (IQR: 8-9). Among the baseline current smokers (n=1257), self-reported 7-day PPA was 41.8% (526/1257), and another 225 smokers (17.9%) reported making a quit attempt.

Conclusions: The WQ modality could be well used and accepted, and it has great potential to motivate and aid short-term smoking cessation in smokers from western China.

Keywords: WeChat; integrated modality; mobile health; quitline; smoking cessation.