mHealth for Smoking Cessation Programs: A Systematic Review.

Area of Science:

• Digital Health
• Public Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Mobile health (mHealth) is revolutionizing healthcare globally through accessible and timely interventions.
• mHealth has been instrumental in delivering smoking cessation programs and interventions for over a decade.
• The widespread adoption of smartphones has spurred the development of numerous applications aimed at smoking cessation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and analyze the applications of mobile phones in smoking cessation.
• To synthesize diverse concepts within the literature on mobile phone-based smoking cessation.
• To provide deeper insights into the emerging mHealth landscape for tobacco control.

Main Methods:

• Systematic review of literature on mobile phone applications for smoking cessation.
• Analysis of various intervention strategies employed within these applications.
• Synthesis of findings to understand the current state of mHealth in smoking cessation.

Main Results:

• Smartphone applications offer diverse interventions including SMS, progress tracking, distraction techniques, and peer support.
• mHealth interventions are increasingly utilized for delivering smoking cessation programs.
• The proliferation of smartphone usage correlates with the development of targeted smoking cessation tools.

Conclusions:

• Mobile phone applications represent a significant and growing modality within mHealth for smoking cessation.
• The integration of various digital interventions within apps enhances their potential for tobacco control.
• Further insights into the mHealth landscape are gained through synthesizing the literature on mobile smoking cessation.