{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,10]],"date-time":"2026-09-10T20:10:06Z","timestamp":1789071006302,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":24,"publisher":"Oxford University Press (OUP)","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]],"date-time":"2026-08-13T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1786579200000},"content-version":"am","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-nc-nd\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Health Care and Promotion Scheme of the Health Medical Research Fund"},{"name":"Food and Health Bureau, Hong Kong SAR Government"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Evidence on the real-world utilization of Nicotine Replacement Therapy Sampling (NRT-S) delivered in outdoor smoking hotspots remains limited. This study aimed to identify predictors of NRT-S utilization and examine its associations with cessation-related outcomes among Chinese adult smokers.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>We conducted an exploratory secondary observational analysis among participants allocated to the NRT-S intervention arm of a cluster randomized controlled trial conducted at outdoor smoking hotspots. Chinese-speaking daily smokers (\u226518\u00a0years, n\u2009=\u2009482) recruited at outdoor smoking hotspots received a 1-week NRT-S, nurse-led medication advice, and an optional referral to cessation clinics. The primary outcome was NRT-S utilization at 1\u00a0month. Secondary outcomes were cessation-related outcomes at 6\u00a0months. Associations were assessed using generalized linear models.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Among 482 participants in the NRT-S intervention arm, 384 received NRT-S and 162 used it. All effect estimates are adjusted risk ratios (aRRs). Receiving instruction on using NRT was associated with greater NRT-S use (aRR 1.55, 95% CI 1.01-2.41). Compared with non-users, more NRT-S users reported quit attempts (aRR 3.12, 95% CI 2.35-4.13) and use of smoking cessation service (aRR 3.14, 95% CI 2.07-4.78) at 1\u00a0month. At 6\u00a0months, using all 1-week NRT-S was associated with higher self-reported 7-day abstinence (aRR 1.94, 95% CI 1.21-3.10) and 30-day abstinence (aRR 1.81, 95% CI 1.09-2.99).<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>NRT-S use was limited despite high receipt among smokers recruited from outdoor smoking hotspots. Brief NRT-use instructions may improve uptake and support cessation-related outcomes, but causal effects require further evaluation. Medication-focused interaction may enhance uptake in community outreach settings.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Implications<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This study provides real-world evidence on the implementation of 1-week NRT-S in outdoor smoking hotspots, a low-intensity community outreach setting. It shows that although most smokers accepted free 1-week NRT sample, actual use was limited, indicating an important implementation gap. Brief instructions on correct NRT use were associated with greater uptake, and complete use was associated with higher self-reported abstinence at 6 months. These findings highlight the need to incorporate concise medication-focused guidance into NRT-S interventions to support uptake and cessation.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1093\/ntr\/ntag178","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,12]],"date-time":"2026-08-12T11:49:08Z","timestamp":1786535348000},"source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Utilization of nicotine replacement therapy sampling and its impact on tobacco abstinence in smokers recruited in outdoor smoking hotspots: A secondary analysis of a cluster randomized controlled trial"],"prefix":"10.1093","author":[{"given":"Aaron Wan Jia","family":"He","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong ,","place":["Pokfulam, Hong Kong, 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Grace Nga-ting","family":"Wong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Integrated Centre on Smoking Cessation, Tung Wah Group of Hospitals , Hong Kong ,","place":["999077, Hong Kong SAR, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sophia Siu Chee","family":"Chan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong ,","place":["Pokfulam, Hong Kong, 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4000-2388","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Man Ping","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong ,","place":["Pokfulam, Hong Kong, 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yee Tak Derek","family":"Cheung","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Nursing, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong ,","place":["Pokfulam, Hong Kong, 999077, Hong Kong SAR, China"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"286","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,8,13]]},"reference":[{"issue":"1","key":"2026091015563266600_ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"222","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-020-01677-9","article-title":"Global burden of disease due to smokeless tobacco consumption in adults: an updated analysis of data from 127 countries","volume":"18","author":"Siddiqi","year":"2020","journal-title":"BMC Med"},{"issue":"1","key":"2026091015563266600_ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"38","DOI":"10.1186\/s12916-015-0281-z","article-title":"Tobacco smoking and all-cause mortality in a large Australian cohort study: findings from a mature epidemic with current low smoking prevalence","volume":"13","author":"Banks","year":"2015","journal-title":"BMC Med"},{"key":"2026091015563266600_ref3","first-page":"2012","volume-title":"2012 Global Progress Report on Implementation of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control","author":"World Health Organization","year":"2012"},{"key":"2026091015563266600_ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"425","DOI":"10.1016\/j.drugalcdep.2017.05.033","article-title":"Intentions to quit tobacco smoking in 14 low- and middle-income countries based on the transtheoretical model","volume":"178","author":"Owusu","year":"2017","journal-title":"Drug Alcohol Depend"},{"issue":"7","key":"2026091015563266600_ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1358","DOI":"10.1111\/add.14953","article-title":"Nicotine replacement therapy sampling for smoking cessation within primary care: results from a pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial","volume":"115","author":"Carpenter","year":"2020","journal-title":"Addiction."},{"key":"2026091015563266600_ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1155\/2021\/6638872","article-title":"Does medication sampling improve compliance with brief advice? 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