Acceptability and Feasibility of an Islamic Faith-based Smoking Cessation Intervention Delivered Via WhatsApp in Saudi Arabia: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial (Preprint)

Smoking is common in Saudi Arabia, particularly among men. Religion plays a protective role against smoking and serves as a motivator for quitting. Faith-based interventions have shown positive effects in supporting smoking cessation among Muslims who smoke, but few studies have tested their acceptability when delivered via mobile phone messaging. The aim of this pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) was to evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of an Islamic-based smoking cessation intervention delivered via WhatsApp messaging in Saudi Arabia. This study was a two-arm RCT involving adult Muslim smokers who used cigarettes, waterpipe, or both, with participants randomized in a 1:1 ratio to either the intervention or control group. The intervention messages were co-designed with religious leaders and informed by formative research with Muslim current and former smokers. The intervention group received both religious and smoking-related health messages, while the control group received smoking-related health messages only. The intervention lasted for 21 days, during which participants received two messages per day, one in the morning and one in the evening. The primary outcomes were the feasibility and acceptability of the intervention. A total of 34 participants were recruited, Two-thirds of whom remained in the study for the full study period. Both groups received 44 messages over 21 days. Message engagement was high, with most participants reading the daily messages (88.2% in the intervention group and 82.4% in the control group). The intervention was acceptable and helpful in supporting smoking reduction or cessation. Abstinence from all tobacco products was 20.6%, with a slightly higher rate in the intervention group (23.5%) than in the control group (17.6%). Cigarette abstinence was 35.3% in the intervention group and 23.5% in the control group, while waterpipe abstinence was much higher but equal in both groups (76.5%). Among those who continued smoking, modest reductions in cigarette and waterpipe consumption were reported in both groups. This Islamic faith-based intervention, delivered via WhatsApp messaging, was feasible and highly acceptable, showing promising effects on smoking cessation and reduction. However, these findings require verification in a larger, fully powered effectiveness trial. Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry Trial Registration No. ACTRN12625001413415 https://anzctr.org.au/Trial/Registration/TrialReview.aspx?id=390880&showOriginal=true&isReview=true