Behavioral Activation mHealth Application for Smoking Cessation: A Randomized Controlled Pilot Trial
Jaimee L Heffner1, Edit Serfozo1, Kelsey Baker1
1Public Health Sciences, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center, Seattle, WA, USA.
Summary
Behavioral activation (BA) shows promise for smoking cessation. The Actify! mobile health app improved quit rates and user satisfaction compared to a standard app, especially for those with mild-to-moderate depression.
Area of Science:
- Behavioral science
- Digital health
- Public health
Background:
- Behavioral activation (BA) is effective for depression and substance use disorders.
- Depressive symptoms are a significant barrier to smoking cessation.
- Mobile health (mHealth) interventions offer scalable solutions for behavior change.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the acceptability and efficacy of the Actify! mHealth app for smoking cessation.
- To compare Actify! with the National Cancer Institute's QuitGuide app.
- To assess impact on smoking abstinence, user satisfaction, and mechanisms of change.
Main Methods:
- Pilot randomized controlled trial (n=242) comparing Actify! and QuitGuide.
- Participants were daily smokers recruited online.
- Outcomes assessed at 8 weeks and 6 months postrandomization.
Main Results:
- Actify! demonstrated higher user satisfaction and smoking quit rates at 8 weeks and 6 months.
- Self-reported 30-day point prevalence abstinence was 12.6% for Actify! vs. 7.3% for QuitGuide at 8 weeks.
- Improvements in depressive symptoms and BA favored Actify!, particularly in participants with mild-to-moderate depression.
Conclusions:
- Actify! shows considerable promise as a novel mHealth treatment for smoking cessation.
- The app demonstrated higher acceptability and efficacy than a standard comparison app.
- Further evaluation in a fully powered efficacy trial is warranted.
