Acceptability and Feasibility of an Islamic Faith-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention Delivered via WhatsApp for Muslim Smokers in Saudi Arabia: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial.
Abdullah Kalantan, Samantha Marsh, Sarah S Monshi et al.
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In 30 seconds
This two-arm pilot randomized controlled trial assessed the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary outcomes of a 21-day Islamic faith-based smoking cessation intervention delivered by WhatsApp to adult Muslim smokers recruited from an antismoking clinic in Saudi Arabia. The intervention combined religious and smoking-related health messages; the control provided health messages alone. Of 34 participants recruited, 64.7% were retained, and most participants in both groups reported reading the messages. Complete abstinence from cigarettes and waterpipe was reported by 23.5% (4/17) in the intervention group and 17.6% (3/17) in the control group; cessation outcomes were descriptive, not statistically compared.
Key findings
- Recruitment was 68% (34/50), and overall retention was 64.7% (22/34).
- Daily messages were read by 88.2% (15/17) of intervention participants and 82.4% (14/17) of controls.
- Complete abstinence from cigarettes and waterpipe was 23.5% (4/17) with the intervention versus 17.6% (3/17) with control; no statistical comparison was conducted.
Why it matters
The study suggests that culturally and religiously informed cessation messages can be delivered through a familiar mobile messaging platform and were viewed as acceptable by participants. Its recruitment and retention results also identify practical challenges that matter when planning a larger trial. The abstinence figures offer preliminary descriptive information, but they do not establish that adding faith-based content improves cessation.
What to keep in mind
The pilot included a small sample, retention was 64.7%, and cessation outcomes were not statistically compared; findings are exploratory.