Efficacy of the Ascure Smoking Cessation Program: Retrospective Study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Standard 12-week smoking cessation programs in Japan have low completion rates (30%) and limited support.
• Participants often require strong motivation, like health issues, to join.
• Insufficient support between clinical visits and post-program is a significant drawback.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of the 24-week ascure program.
• To address limitations of standard programs, focusing on accessibility and continuous support.
• To investigate the role of online mentoring, pharmacotherapy, and a smartphone app in smoking cessation.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 177 adult smokers in the ascure program (August 2017 - August 2018).
• Primary outcomes: continuous abstinence rates (CARs) at weeks 9-12 and 21-24.
• Salivary cotinine testing for verification, program adherence evaluation, and exploratory analysis of factors for long-term abstinence.

Main Results:

• Continuous abstinence rates (CARs) were 48.6% (weeks 9-12) and 47.5% (weeks 21-24).
• High program adherence was observed: 72% at week 12 and 60% at week 24.
• App diary entries and educational video views correlated with sustained abstinence at 24 weeks.

Conclusions:

• The ascure program demonstrates favorable continuous abstinence rates and high participant adherence.
• Proactive engagement with the smartphone app is a key factor for achieving long-term smoking cessation success.
• The findings suggest a promising model for enhanced smoking cessation support.