Promoting smoking cessation during pregnancy: A feasibility and pilot trial of a digital storytelling intervention delivered via text-messaging

Emma King (Lead / Corresponding author), Helen Cheyne, Purva Abhyankar, Andrew Elders, Mark Grindle, Adrian Hapca, Claire Jones, Ronan O'Carroll, Mary Steele, Brian Williams

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Citations (Scopus)
102 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Objective: Smoking during pregnancy causes risks to mother and infant health. We investigated the feasibility and likely success of SKIP-IT, a narrative and picture-based smoking cessation intervention delivered via text messages.

Methods: A feasibility and pilot trial. We aimed to recruit 70 pregnant women who smoked, randomised to usual care alone, or usual care and the SKIP-IT intervention, between 12 weeks of pregnancy and 6 weeks post due-date. Outcomes assessed were recruitment, retention, acceptability of, and engagement with the intervention, smoking behaviour, intentions, perceived risk, and self-efficacy.

Results: Of 312 women initially approached by smoking cessation services only 54 (17%) agreed to be contacted by the research team. Twenty were then either ineligible or uncontactable and 28 (82%) participated. Most women reported texts to be entertaining and helpful. The proportion of women not smoking at follow-up was lower in the intervention group, but numbers were too small to draw conclusions about effectiveness.

Conclusion: The intervention was acceptable, but difficulty in making initial and follow-up contacts meant our methods were unfeasible for a larger trial.

Practice implications: Digital Storytelling interventions could help women quit smoking, but further research is required to identify alternative methods for studies with pregnant women who smoke.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2562-2572
Number of pages11
JournalPatient Education and Counseling
Volume105
Issue number07
Early online date1 Jan 2022
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2022

Keywords

  • Behaviour change
  • Intervention
  • Pregnancy
  • Smoking
  • Text-messaging

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

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