Gamified Physical-Digital Smoking Cessation Intervention for Young Adults: Mixed Methods Development and Usability...

Area of Science:

• Digital Health Interventions
• Behavioral Science
• Public Health

Background:

• Smoking remains a leading global cause of death, with young adults being a key demographic at risk.
• Existing mobile smoking cessation apps often fail to reach individuals not yet motivated to quit.
• There is a need for interventions targeting the crucial early stages of smoking cessation (precontemplation and contemplation).

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and evaluate Smokwit, a digital smoking cessation intervention for young adults.
• To investigate the effectiveness of Smokwit in engaging smokers during the act of smoking.
• To explore the potential of ambient, gamified interventions in promoting smoking cessation.

Main Methods:

• Design science research methodology was employed to develop Smokwit.
• A mixed-methods approach, combining a 3-month quasi-experiment (n=46) with qualitative user (n=10) and expert (n=7) analysis.
• Smokwit integrates a connected ashtray and mobile app to trigger change processes and provide support.

Main Results:

• Qualitative data indicated Smokwit successfully promoted self-reflection, peer discussions, and app engagement.
• Quantitative analysis showed a non-statistically significant trend (P=.06) towards increased readiness to quit in the treatment group.
• The intervention design effectively engaged users in early-stage cessation behaviors.

Conclusions:

• Smokwit offers promising insights into designing effective, bottom-up digital smoking cessation interventions.
• The intervention demonstrates the potential to engage young adults at critical moments in their cessation journey.
• Targeting early stages of change with innovative digital tools can support smoking cessation efforts.