Project Phoenix: Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial of a Smartphone-delivered Intervention for People Who Are Not Ready to Quit Smoking

Overview

Journal Drug Alcohol Depend

Publisher Elsevier

Specialty Psychiatry

Date 2024 Jun 5

PMID 38838477

Authors

Michael S Businelle

Lizbeth Benson

Emily T Hebert

Jordan Neil

Darla E Kendzor

Summer Frank-Pearce

Krista M Kezbers

Damon Vidrine

Akshay Gaur

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Most people who smoke cigarettes report they want to quit in the future, but only 20 % are ready to quit within the next 30 days. This 3-arm pilot randomized controlled trial examined the feasibility and initial efficacy of a novel smartphone-based intervention that aimed to induce smoking cessation attempts among adults not initially ready to quit.

Methods: Participants randomized into the two intervention groups (Group 1: Phoenix App Only; Group 2: Phoenix App + Nicotine Replacement Therapy) received daily smoking cessation messages via smartphone application that were tailored to their current readiness to quit, while the attention control group (i.e., Factoid) received messages not related to smoking cessation. All participants completed a weekly survey for 26 weeks and used the app to set quit dates when/if desired.

Results: Participants (N=152) were female (67.8 %), White (75.7 %), 50.0 years old (SD=12.5), and smoked 20.4 cigarettes per day (SD=10.5). Results indicated that the Phoenix interventions were feasible (e.g., participants viewed ~185 messages over 26 weeks; 74.8 % of weekly surveys were completed; 85.5 % completed the 26-week follow-up assessment). Phoenix participants set more quit dates, set quit dates sooner, were abstinent for more days, and used smoking cessation medications on more days than those assigned to the Factoid group.

Conclusions: This low-burden, smartphone-based smoking cessation induction intervention may increase smoking cessation attempts, and may reduce barriers that are encountered with traditional in-person or call-based interventions.

Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov number: NCT03405129; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03405129.

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