Testing the effectiveness of rookexperts.nl: an intervention for increasing intention to quit among hardcore smokers based on motivational interviewing.

Hard-core smokers are smokers who have been smoking for many years and who do not intend to quit. This makes them vulnerable to disease and death. Since hard-core smokers are unlikely to quit smoking, before aiming at actually quitting, we first need to increase their intention to quit.



This study compares an experimental intervention (i.e., ‘rookexperts.nl’; ‘smoke-experts’) with a control intervention.



The rookexperts.nl intervention is designed to increase intention to quit among hard-core smokers. It incorporates motivational interviewing techniques, uses a self-affirmation manipulation and gives tailored feedback. We use motivational interviewing to increase smokers’ self-efficacy and to change smokers’ perceived cons of smoking and pros of quitting. We use a self-affirmation manipulation to tackle smokers’ defensive responses. Tailored messages are used to make the website more relevant.



The control intervention is similar to rookexperts.nl in layout and length, but discusses the history and production of tobacco (instead of smoking-related beliefs). The control intervention does not use motivational interviewing techniques, self-affirmation or tailored messages.

ZonMW grant: 200120002

Radboud Ethical Committee approval: ECG2013-1308-119a

Hard-core smokers are smokers who have been smoking for many years and who do not intend to quit. This makes them vulnerable to disease and death. Since hard-core smokers are unlikely to quit smoking, before aiming at actually quitting, we first need to increase their intention to quit.



This study compares an experimental intervention (i.e., ‘rookexperts.nl’; ‘smoke-experts’) with a control intervention. The rookexperts.nl intervention is designed to increase intention to quit among hard-core smokers.



Primary Aims: (1) To investigate possible differences in intention to quit after the experiment between the experimental condition and the control condition. (2) To investigate possible differences in the number of participants willing to visit a subsequent quitting intervention between the experimental condition and the control condition.



Secondary Aims: (1) To investigate possible differences in willingness to consider quitting after the experiment between the experimental condition and the control condition (2) To investigate possible differences in perceived self-efficacy after the experiment between the experimental condition and the control condition. (3) To investigate possible differences in agreement with the cons of smoking and the pros of quitting after the experiment between the experimental condition and the control condition.

The first part of the experiment (T1) will take about 30 minutes. During this part, participants visit either the intervention or the control intervention, after which they will fill out the questionnaire containing the outcome measures. After two weeks (T2) and after two months (T3) we will ask participants to fill out follow-up questionnaires.

This study compares an experimental intervention (i.e., ‘rookexperts.nl’; ‘smoke-experts’) with a control intervention. The rookexperts.nl intervention is designed to make hard-core smokers think about quitting and to increase their intention to quit. Rookexperts.nl incorporates motivational interviewing techniques, uses a self-affirmation manipulation and gives tailored feedback. We use motivational interviewing to increase smokers’ self-efficacy and to change smokers’ perceived cons of smoking and pros of quitting. We use a self-affirmation manipulation to tackle smokers’ defensive responses. Tailored messages are used to make the website more relevant to the user.



The control intervention is similar to rookexperts.nl in layout and length, but discusses the history and production of tobacco (instead of smoking-related beliefs). The control intervention does not use motivational interviewing techniques, self-affirmation or tailored messages.