Table 3 Participants’ ratings and reactions to text messages
Text message | Text helpful? | Text likeable? | Text motivating to quit? | Participant Reactions to texts (Representative quote) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Yes | % | Yes | % | Yes | % | ||
Texts for individuals who want to quit | |||||||
1. People, places, and things can make you want to smoke. Write down your triggers. Make a plan to help you steer clear of them on you quit day. | 17 | 85% | 17 | 85% | 15 | 75% | “If you see a group of people smoking. Oh, let me get a cigarette. But if you have someone texting you like, you got this, you can do it, you’re strong, that’s very helpful.” (P9) |
2. Reminding yourself of your reasons for quitting can help keep you on track when you need a boost. Take a few minutes to revisit your list. | 15 | 75% | 15 | 75% | 14 | 70% | “I think having and hearing just overall little tips over the period of a day, and little pick-me-ups would help motivate me.” (P16) |
3. Counseling and medication can increase your chances of successfully quitting. Talk to your doctor about the best options for you. | 16 | 80% | 13 | 65% | 14 | 70% | “Well, even ask them what type of resources they may need, and that would be an even better way to [help].” (P1) |
Texts to provide encouragement to stay quit | |||||||
4. Stay positive. Do not let things get you down. Your journey to a smokefree life might be a struggle, but looking back it will be well worth it. | 18 | 90% | 18 | 90% | 18 | 90% | “Because it reminds me, and that way helps me more, to stop. That I know somebody out there cares. It helps me stop.” (P12) |
5. Life knocks you down sometimes but YOU make the choice to get back up. Quitting smoking is no different. Do not look back now. | 15 | 75% | 14 | 70% | 15 | 75% | “I like these encouragement ones.” (P14) |
6. If you slip, keep trying to quit. Learn from your mistakes this time. | 14 | 70% | 14 | 70% | 14 | 70% | “I think it’s just so basic, it’s obvious. You know what I mean? It’s just telling you something you already know.” (P17) |
Texts to motivate individuals to quit | |||||||
7. Quitting can be hard. Think about ways you might be better off if you quit. | 17 | 85% | 17 | 85% | 17 | 85% | “It took me a while to learn how life can get you, man, how quick it can go. Especially now. It’s a good message.” (P7) |
8. Think of the challenges you’ve overcome in the past. Harness those strengths that got you through to help you quit smoking. | 14 | 70% | 15 | 75% | 15 | 75% | “Yeah. Motivational messages. Nothing but positive messages is what people need.” (P1) |
9. Deciding to quit smoking is a difficult decision. Every difficult decision has pros and cons. Think about your pros/cons for quitting and where that leaves you. | 13 | 65% | 13 | 65% | 13 | 65% | “I mean, just to get a message like that, and to know someone cares enough to send that, and for you to read it, and really think about what you’re doing’.” (P19) |
10. Thought for the day: how would your life get easier if you didn’t smoke? | 19 | 95% | 18 | 90% | 19 | 95% | “Some of them would be very motivating, Keep me motivated through the day.” (P10) |
11. Thought for the day: what would you be able to do if you didn’t smoke? | 18 | 90% | 18 | 90% | 18 | 90% | “I just think the positive affirmation stuff [is helpful]. If you say, “You can go on a great vacation.” Show them how much a vacation costs. Then show them what they could be getting, I guess.” (P17) |
12. Quitting smoking is stressful but continuing to smoke is also stressful—think of the cost, the addiction, health problems, etc. How does smoking stress you out? | 15 | 75% | 15 | 75% | 15 | 75% | “They would motivate me to stop smoking every day.” (P4) |
13. Thought for the day: how would your life be different 1 year from now if you quit smoking? What about 5 years? | 17 | 85% | 17 | 85% | 16 | 80% | “I’d feel good about quitting ‘cause, man, at least I know someone’s thinking about me, man, to send me a text.” (P11) |
Texts on health risks of smoking | |||||||
14. In the U.S., tobacco kills more people than AIDS, alcohol, car accidents, murders, suicides, drugs, and fires combined. Quit today! | 17 | 85% | 16 | 80% | 17 | 85% | “The stuff they put, like death and destruction it causes. I don’t need to hear about it anymore. I’ve always believed in more positive reinforcement of stuff than negative.” (P16) |
15. Do not be fooled! There is no such thing as a safe cigarette. Quitting is the only way to protect yourself from the health risks of smoking. | 13 | 65% | 12 | 60% | 13 | 65% | “That’s actually kind of annoying. You’re tellin’ me things I’ve already known.” (P2) |
Tips to address mistrust and misconceptions of medications to treat tobacco dependence | |||||||
16. Nicotine patch, Wellbutrin, or Chantix double your chances of quitting smoking and do not increase the risk of heart attacks | 14 | 70% | 14 | 70% | 14 | 70% | “Yeah, I would like that. It’s be a good reminder.” (P4) |
18. The state of Massachusetts offers medications to help you quit smoking at a low or no cost. Call the MA quitline at 1-800-QUIT-NOW for more information. | 13 | 65% | 12 | 60% | 13 | 65% | “I don’t like the messages like they’re just normal. The 1-800—It’s helpful, but it’s always the same thing. That’s always around, that message.” (P14) |
Tips to Increase Clinical Utility of Medications | |||||||
19. Take dose of Chantix after eating and with a full glass of water to limit nausea | 9 | 45% | 8 | 40% | 8 | 40% | “I think you should know if the person’s going to be on medications or not. If you knew someone was leaning towards Chantix, that would be their message.” (P1) |
20. Avoid taking Wellbutrin at bedtime to minimize insomnia | 11 | 55% | 9 | 45% | 9 | 45% | “I disliked the whole “don’t take the medicine before goin’ to sleep …I didn’t like that one because, most of the time, I like to smoke cigarettes before I go to sleep, which is at night. It’s contradicting.” (P2). |
Texts on the Benefits of Quitting (Substance Use-specific) | |||||||
21. People who quit smoking have higher success in quitting other substances, such as cocaine, heroin, and alcohol. | 16 | 80% | 16 | 80% | 16 | 80% | “Cause they go hand in hand. I go to meetings and a lot of people that quit substance abuse, they also quit cigarettes.” (P8) |
Health Benefits of Quitting (General) | |||||||
22. Quitting smoking lowers your blood pressure and heart rate almost immediately. | 17 | 85% | 16 | 80% | 16 | 80% | “I like that one a lot. I did not know that. That motivates me a lot, cause all it takes is just one [day] for my health to start improving. That’s crazy.” (P14) |
23. After quitting smoking, your risk of a heart attack declines within 24 h of quitting. | 17 | 85% | 16 | 80% | 16 | 80% | “Everyone knows if you smoke, you should probably quit, but seeing’ something like within 24 h it can reduce many things like that, it’s eye-opening.” (P5) |
24. People who quit smoking after having a heart attack reduce their chances of having another heart attack by half | 18 | 90% | 17 | 85% | 17 | 85% | “Really? Wow. I didn’t know that.” (P6) |
25. Quitting smoking is the only proven beneficial treatment for reducing progression in mild to moderate/severe COPD. | 18 | 90% | 17 | 85% | 17 | 85% | “Damn. Ok. I lost my grandmother and my grandfather to smoking. …cause my mother died of smoking.” (P16) |
Cost Savings of Quitting | |||||||
26. Smoking 1 pack of cigarettes a day for 1 year costs over $3500! Think about all the other things you could be spending that money on. | 17 | 85% | 17 | 85% | 17 | 85% | “It’s telling me, man, if I didn’t smoke a pack, how much money I can spend on something else.” (P11) |