Chinese study says texting can help smokers quit

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A study by Chinese researchers showed that texting on mobile phones can help smokers quit smoking.

The study published on Tuesday in the PLOS Medicine journal showed that, among smokers who received a 12-week-long mobile phone-based intervention to quit smoking, 6.5 percent stopped smoking by the end of the study.

The researchers from the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in China said the intervention could have greater reach and higher feasibility than in-person treatments.

It has great potential and should be considered for large-scale use in China, according to the study.

They conducted a randomized controlled trial across China from August 2016 to May 2017, recruiting a total of 1,369 adult smokers. Participants were randomly assigned to a 12-week intervention consisting of either high-frequency or low-frequency messaging, or to a control group that received text messages unrelated to quitting.

The text messages were aimed at improving self-efficacy and behavioral capability for quitting, according to the study.

Twelve weeks later, 89 quit in the high-frequency group while 82 quit in the low-frequency group. 26 in the control group also stopped.

China has the highest global prevalence of cigarette smokers, accounting for more than 40 percent of the world's total cigarette consumption.

Source(s): Xinhua News Agency