Scholarlink

Background <p>One of the most significant risk factors for cancer and several other adverse health outcomes is nicotine and tobacco use. Life-skills training programs conducted within the school curriculum are effective in preventing substance use, including nicotine and tobacco use, however, large-scale implementation is hindered by time, organizational and financial constraints. Providing life-skills training programs via smartphones may be a more economical and scalable approach. <i>SUNRISE SmartCoach</i> is the first life skills training program to use instant messaging and storytelling to present life-skills training in an emotional and engaging way. This study protocol outlines a cluster-randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of <i>SUNRISE SmartCoach</i> among adolescents in eight European countries.</p> Methods <p>A two-arm, parallel-group, cluster-randomized, controlled trial will be conducted to test the efficacy of <i>SUNRISE SmartCoach</i> in comparison to an assessment only control group. The study participants will be assessed at baseline and at follow-ups after 6 and 18 months. The fully automated program is based on social cognitive theory and aims to improve self-management skills, social skills, and resistance to addictive behavior. Participants in the intervention group will receive online feedback on their life skills via Smartphone, as well as individually tailored coaching dialogues via WhatsApp or Viber over four months, to improve life skills. Active program engagement will be stimulated by interactive features such as quiz questions, message- and picture-contests, and integration of a friendly competition in which program users collect credits with each interaction. Study participants will be 3,500 secondary and upper secondary school students between the ages of 14 and 17 years from eight European countries: Switzerland, Greece, Slovenia, Spain, Cyprus, Italy, Belgium, and Romania. The primary outcome criterion will be nicotine or tobacco use within 30 days preceding the follow-up assessment at month 18. Secondary outcomes include the use of other substances, such as alcohol and cannabis, social skills, perceived stress, healthy eating habits, and quality of life.</p> Discussion <p>This is the first randomized controlled study testing the efficacy of an instant messenger- and storytelling-based life-skills training program to prevent nicotine and tobacco use as well as other behavioral risk factors among adolescents. If this intervention approach proves to be effective, it could be easily implemented in various settings and could reach large numbers of young people in a cost-effective way.</p> Trial registration <p>NCT06922201 (registration date: 2025-04-09).</p>

错误：搜索内容不能为空，请输入英文关键词
错误：关键词超出字数限制，请精简
高级检索

Efficacy of an instant messaging-based life-skills training program to prevent behavioral risk factors among adolescents in Europe: study protocol of a cluster-randomized controlled trial

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

    开放获取

  • 发表日期：

    2025年11月24日

查看全文
  • Severin Haug,
  • Andreas Wenger,
  • Eunate Arana-Arri,
  • Maitane Barasoain,
  • Ainara Vélez-Del-Burgo,
  • Kleio Koutra,
  • Ana Molina-Barceló,
  • Teresa De Pablo-Pardo,
  • Nikolai Kiselev,
  • Nikolaos Boumparis,
  • Olivia Studhalter,
  • Michael P. Schaub,
  • Liselot Hudders,
  • Eline De Keyzer,
  • Frans Folkvord,
  • Katrina Champion,
  • Andreas Triantafyllidis,
  • Sofia Segkouli,
  • Nikos Laloumis,
  • Anastasios Alexiadis,
  • Eirini Lithoxoidou,
  • Konstantinos Flevarakis,
  • Aggeliki Spirou,
  • Charalabos Georgiadis,
  • Sotirios Kafetzopoulos,
  • Konstantinos Votis,
  • Dimitrios Tzovaras,
  • Haridimos Kondylakis,
  • Kostas Marias,
  • Evaggelia Maniadi,
  • Evangelos Markakis,
  • Pelekidou Lina,
  • Emmanouil Tsiknakis,
  • Dimitra Papatsaroucha,
  • John Kefaloukos,
  • Charikleia Tziraki,
  • Vassilis Kilintzis,
  • Konstantina Pityanou,
  • Panagiotis Antivasis,
  • Chrysoula Katsapi,
  • Katerina Micheli,
  • Maria Krini,
  • Nicolas Philippou,
  • Theophano Pampaka,
  • Stavri Xydia,
  • Marisa Ferentinou,
  • Steffi DeJans,
  • Dieneke Van de Sompel,
  • Emma Beuckels,
  • Hayley Pearce,
  • Delia Nicoara,
  • Niculina Nicoara,
  • Iulia Gavrila,
  • Adela Maghear,
  • David Bogataj,
  • Polonca Pangrcic,
  • Anja Inkret,
  • Nandu Goswami,
  • Panagiotis Bamidis,
  • Sofia Reppou,
  • Iraklis Tsoupouroglou,
  • Dimitrios Spachos,
  • Gloria Cea,
  • Alba Gallego,
  • Irene Mallo,
  • Eduardo Buhid,
  • Giuseppe Fico,
  • María Fernanda Cabrera,
  • Francisco Lupianez Villanueva,
  • Lucas Segal,
  • Justine Van der Feen,
  • Nick Dietrich,
  • Ana Roca-Umbert,
  • Marco Manso,
  • Jose Pires,
  • Barbara Guerra,
  • Ana Molina,
  • Mercedes Vanaclocha,
  • Paula Romeo,
  • Belen Manyogil,
  • Mireia Gandia,
  • Laura del Campo,
  • Chiara Pilotti,
  • Rachele Valentinotti,
  • Elisabetta Iannelli,
  • Francesco De Lorenzo,
  • Davide De Persis,
  • Alice Summa,
  • Alvaro Sanchez Perez,
  • María Iciar Astigarraga Aguirre,
  • Enrique Peiro Callizo,
  • Ainara Velez del Burgo,
  • Janire Orcajo Lago,
  • Macarena Debareno Martinez,
  • Maitane Barasoain Hernandez,
  • Izaskun Arenaza,
  • Vassilis Liakopoulos,
  • Maria Panagopoulou,
  • Giorgos Mavromanolakis,
  • Maria Manteli,
  • Pavlos Koulouris,
  • Sofoklis Sotiriou,
  • Stefanie Verduyn,
  • Loes Neven,
  • Katie Rizvi,
  • Oana Rusu,
  • Diana Todea,
  • Laura Cristea,
  • Cristina Trifulescu,
  • Niko Boumparis,
  • Maree Teesson,
  • Nicola Newton

摘要

Background

One of the most significant risk factors for cancer and several other adverse health outcomes is nicotine and tobacco use. Life-skills training programs conducted within the school curriculum are effective in preventing substance use, including nicotine and tobacco use, however, large-scale implementation is hindered by time, organizational and financial constraints. Providing life-skills training programs via smartphones may be a more economical and scalable approach. SUNRISE SmartCoach is the first life skills training program to use instant messaging and storytelling to present life-skills training in an emotional and engaging way. This study protocol outlines a cluster-randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of SUNRISE SmartCoach among adolescents in eight European countries.

Methods

A two-arm, parallel-group, cluster-randomized, controlled trial will be conducted to test the efficacy of SUNRISE SmartCoach in comparison to an assessment only control group. The study participants will be assessed at baseline and at follow-ups after 6 and 18 months. The fully automated program is based on social cognitive theory and aims to improve self-management skills, social skills, and resistance to addictive behavior. Participants in the intervention group will receive online feedback on their life skills via Smartphone, as well as individually tailored coaching dialogues via WhatsApp or Viber over four months, to improve life skills. Active program engagement will be stimulated by interactive features such as quiz questions, message- and picture-contests, and integration of a friendly competition in which program users collect credits with each interaction. Study participants will be 3,500 secondary and upper secondary school students between the ages of 14 and 17 years from eight European countries: Switzerland, Greece, Slovenia, Spain, Cyprus, Italy, Belgium, and Romania. The primary outcome criterion will be nicotine or tobacco use within 30 days preceding the follow-up assessment at month 18. Secondary outcomes include the use of other substances, such as alcohol and cannabis, social skills, perceived stress, healthy eating habits, and quality of life.

Discussion

This is the first randomized controlled study testing the efficacy of an instant messenger- and storytelling-based life-skills training program to prevent nicotine and tobacco use as well as other behavioral risk factors among adolescents. If this intervention approach proves to be effective, it could be easily implemented in various settings and could reach large numbers of young people in a cost-effective way.

Trial registration

NCT06922201 (registration date: 2025-04-09).