Intervention targeting and retention, engagement and abstinence outcomes among Latino and White users of Smokefree.gov text messaging programmes: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background We examined retention, engagement and abstinence among Latino users of SmokefreeTXT en Español (SFTXTesp), a Latino-targeted text messaging smoking cessation intervention, and Latino and White users of SmokefreeTXT (SFTXT), a non-targeted intervention.Methods Data came from 12 281 users (1562 Latino SFTXTesp users and 2301 Latino and 8418 White SFTXT users). We conducted time-to-drop-out analyses by race/ethnicity. Using logistic regression, we examined associations between intervention targeting, race/ethnicity and responses to smoking status prompts, an engagement metric, and self-reported abstinence on quit day, intervention end and 1-month follow-up. Age, gender, census region, smoking frequency, cigarettes smoked per day, prequit time and number of quit attempts were covariates.Results Latinos in SFTXTesp (adjusted OR, aOR 0.63) and SFTXT (0.88) were less likely to drop out of the intervention than Whites. SFTXTesp Latino users had higher response rates to smoking prompts than SFTXT Latinos users (aORs 1.35, quit day; 1.84, intervention end; 1.82, 1-month follow-up). However, SFTXTesp and SFTXT Latino users had lower response rates than Whites (aORs 0.68, 0.45, quit day; 0.60, 0.30, intervention end; 0.64, 0.33, 1-month follow-up). Abstinence was equivalent among Latinos in SFTXTesp and SFTXT interventions, but Latinos using SFTXTesp and SFTXT were less likely to be abstinent than Whites (aORs 0.42, 0.41, quit day; 0.45, 0.37, intervention end and 0.53, 0.35, 1-month follow-up).Conclusion Linguistic intervention targeting improved retention and engagement among Latinos, but not abstinence. Latinos had higher retention but lower engagement and abstinence rates than Whites. Cultural targeting may engage Latinos in smoking cessation interventions and improve abstinence.