Development and evaluation of the See Me Smoke-Free multi-behavioral mHealth app for women smokers

Abstract

Background: Women face particular challenges when quitting smoking, especially those with weight concerns. A multi-behavioral smoking cessation intervention addressing these concerns and incorporating guided imagery may assist women to engage in healthy lifestyle behaviors. An mHealth app can easily disseminate such an intervention. Purpose: The goals of this pilot study were to develop and test the feasibility and potential of the See Me Smoke-Free™ mHealth app to address smoking, diet and physical activity among women smokers. Methods: We used pragmatic, direct-to-consumer methods to develop and test program content, functionality, and the user interface, and conduct a pre-/post-test, 90-day pilot study. Results: We enrolled 151 participants. Attrition was 52%, leaving 73 participants. At 90 days, 47% of participants reported 7-day abstinence, and significant increases in physical activity and fruit consumption. Conclusions: Recruitment methods worked well, but similar to other mHealth studies, we experienced high attrition. This study suggests that a guided imagery mHealth app has the potential to address multiple behaviors. Future research should consider different methods to improve retention and assess efficacy.