Efficacy of WeChat-based online smoking cessation intervention ("WeChat WeQuit") in China: a randomised controlled trial
Mené en Chine entre 2020 et 2022 sur 2 000 adultes souhaitant arrêter de fumer (durée de suivi : 26 semaines), cet essai randomisé évalue l'efficacité d'une thérapie cognitivo-comportementale d'aide au sevrage tabagique via WeChat
Résumé en anglais
Background: China has approximately 300 million current smokers, and smoking cessation services are limited. This study aimed to assess the efficacy of a Cognitive Behavioral Theory-based smoking cessation intervention (‘WeChat WeQuit’) via the most popular social media platform in China, WeChat.
Methods: A parallel, single-blind, two-arm randomised controlled trial was conducted via WeChat between March 19, 2020 and November 16, 2022. Chinese-speaking adult smokers (n = 2000) willing to quit within one month were recruited and randomised in a 1:1 ratio. The intervention group (n = 1005) received the ‘WeChat WeQuit’ program and the control group (n = 955) received control messages for 14 weeks (2-week prequit and 12-week postquit). Participants were followed up to 26 weeks after the quit date. The primary outcome was self-reported continuous smoking abstinence rate, biochemically validated at 26 weeks. The secondary outcomes were self-reported 7-day and continuous abstinence rates at 6 months. All analyses were by intention to treat. The trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03169686).
Findings: By intention-to-treat analysis, the biochemically verified 26-week continuous abstinence rate was 11.94% in the intervention group and 2.81% in the control group (OR = 4.68, 95% CI: 3.07–7.13, p < 0.0001). The self-reported 7-day abstinence rates ranged from 39.70% at week 1–32.04% at week 26 for the intervention group and 14.17%–11.86% in the control group for weeks 1 and 26, respectively; the self-reported continuous abstinence rates at weeks 1 and 26 ranged from 34.33% to 24.28% and 9.65% to 6.13% in the intervention group and the control group respectively (all p < 0.0001). Participants with low nicotine dependence or previous quit attempts were more likely to successfully quit smoking.
Interpretation: The ‘WeChat WeQuit’ intervention significantly increased smoking abstinence rates at 6 months and should be considered for treatment-seeking smokers in China.
