Framing effects on smoking cessation intentions: A quasiexperimental study of gain- versus loss-framed text messages among male smokers in China

INTRODUCTION: China has over 300 million smokers, yet overall willingness to quit remains low. Moreover, more than 90% of Chinese smokers who attempt to quit have no professional support, underscoring the need for effective self-directed cessation interventions. METHODS: We conducted a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental study in Hangzhou, China (March-June 2023). A total of 1082 eligible adult male smokers were allocated to receive gain-framed (n=546) or loss-framed (n=536) cessation messages after baseline assessments. Quit intention was measured with a 5-point Likert scale immediately before and after exposure to the allocated message. The primary outcome was an increase in quit intention post-exposure. Logistic regression was used to compare framing effects between groups, adjusting for occupation, annual household income, baseline quit intention, self-exempt beliefs, self-efficacy, and nicotine dependence (FTND). Subgroup analyses explored effect modification by these psychological factors. RESULTS: All participants received the allocated intervention and 1081 were included in the final analysis. Increased quit intention was observed in 34.6% of the gain-framed group versus 30.7% of the loss-framed group (adjusted odds ratio, AOR=0.73; 95% CI: 0.55-0.98; p=0.038). Subgroup analyses showed consistent benefits of gain-framed messages, with stronger associations among participants with low self-exempt beliefs (AOR=0.66; 95% CI: 0.45-0.96; p=0.031) and low self-efficacy (AOR=0.48; 95% CI: 0.28-0.83; p=0.008). CONCLUSIONS: Gain-framed messages were associated with higher quit intentions than loss-framed messages among Chinese male smokers. Tailoring message framing to smokers' psychological profiles may yield more favorable responses. Given the quasi-experimental design, further studies are needed to obtain sufficient evidence for culturally sensitive tobacco control strategies in China.