A new app developed by Finnish researchers has been shown to be effective in helping long-term smokers who have participated in lung cancer screening quit smoking.
- Finnish scientists have developed a mobile application for smoking cessation, which is based on cognitive behavioral therapy.
- After actively using it for three months, 20% of long-term smokers successfully quit smoking.
- Among those who did not quit smoking completely, a greater proportion of app users reduced their tobacco consumption.
Nicotine patches, chewing gum, medical treatments, such as varenicline or bupropion… There are several methods to quit smoking. Recently, scientists from the University of Oulu (Finland) have developed a mobile application for smoking cessation. The latter is based on cognitive behavioral therapy. It aims to increase awareness of behaviors that are harmful to health and to support the active role of the person in managing their behavior. The application includes weekly surveys on symptoms, mindfulness exercises and a person with whom patients can speak remotely.
Smoking cessation: 101 long-term smokers used the app
In a study published in the journal The Lancet Regional Health – Europethe researchers wanted to test the effectiveness of this application, which is currently only available for research purposes. To do this, they recruited 201 smokers who participated in a lung cancer screening by CT scan. In detail, the participants smoked more than 15 cigarettes per day for more than 25 years or smoked more than 10 cigarettes per day for more than 30 years. They were randomly divided into two groups: the study group, which used the mobile application, and the control group, which received written materials on smoking cessation, in accordance with national recommendations.
20% of participants quit smoking after using the app for three months
After a three-month follow-up, 20% of people using the app had quit smoking, compared with 7% in the group that received written materials. The result was the same at the end of the six-month follow-up period. The authors said that active use of the app tripled the chances of quitting smoking. Even among those who did not quit completely, a greater proportion of app users significantly reduced their smoking compared with the control group.
According to the team, the app can be easily integrated into the lung cancer screening process. In future research, they will analyze the effectiveness of the mobile app outside the context of lung cancer screening and in combination with other smoking cessation methods.
