San Antonio, Get Help Quitting Smoking with the Quitxt Study!
Hey San Antonio, ready to quit smoking?!
Join the Quitxt Study in English or Spanish to take a powerful step toward quitting smoking. The study features Quitxt, a free bilingual text messaging program that helps Latino young adults in South Texas to quit smoking.
Quitting smoking can help you save money and help with more independence, better fitness, better breath, and better health.
“No matter where you are on your quitting journey, our Quitxt Study is here to help you every step of the way,” said Dr. Patricia Chalela, study leader and tobacco researcher at UT Health San Antonio.
What Is the Quitxt Study?
The Quitxt Study aims to understand the impact of Quitxt, UT Health San Antonio’s bilingual, evidence-based text messaging smoking cessation program designed for young adults.
Text messages help with motivation to quit, setting a quit date, handling stress, using nicotine replacement (if needed), and more.
The study, led by UT Health San Antonio and funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT), lasts 6 months and is enrolling 1,200 young adults who smoke tobacco cigarettes.
“The goal is simple: help you quit smoking and live a longer, healthier life,” Dr. Chalela said.
What Happens in the Quitxt Study?
Participants are randomly assigned (like throwing a coin) to one of two groups:
The Quitxt Group receives supportive text messages designed to help you quit smoking.
The Control Group receives general health-related short text messages.
You are asked to complete four short surveys:
- During enrollment
- 1 month
- 3 months
- 6 months
All study activities can be done remotely by Zoom or online.
Each completed survey is $20 digital gift card.
If you report quitting smoking at 1, 3 and/or 6 months, you will be asked to complete a simple saliva test at home over Zoom. Each test completed is $20 more, no matter the results.
In total, you can earn up to $140 in digital gift cards!
Does Quitxt Really Work to Quit Smoking?
More than 1 in 5 Quitxt users fully quit smoking after completing the English version of the program, according to a preliminary study.
Katherine Saucedo, a San Antonio resident who started smoking in her early 20s, wanted to quit. So she tried Quitxt.
Saucedo has been smoke-free for the past three months using Quitxt.
“Huge improvements, just better lung capacity. I don’t feel short of breath just walking up a flight of stairs. I don’t have that awful, ugly cough anymore,” Saucedo said.
“[The Quitxt messages] just kept [quitting smoking] at the forefront of my mind.”
Why Join the Quitxt Study?
By participating in the Quitxt Study, you are:
- Helping improve Quitxt so it can better support young adults in the future
- Being part of a community of young adults who are quitting smoking to get healthier
- Setting a positive example for your family and friends, and shaping a better, smoke-free future
“You’re proving that change happens with one strong step at a time,” Dr. Chalela said.