A Qualitative Examination of Stay Quit Coach, A Mobile Application for Veteran Smokers With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
Nicotine Tob Res
; 22(4): 560-569, 2020 04 17.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-30874289
ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION:
Smoking is a lethal public health problem that is common in US military veterans, particularly those with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Mobile applications (apps) to promote smoking cessation are a scalable and low-cost approach that may facilitate treatment engagement.METHODS:
This qualitative study examined the acceptability, user experience, and perceptions of a smoking cessation app, Stay Quit Coach (SQC), when incorporated into evidence-based smoking cessation treatment. US military veterans with PTSD who smoked at least five cigarettes per day for 15 of the past 30 days and stated an interested in cessation were eligible to participate. Participants' baseline comfort levels with mobile technology was measured using the Perceptions of Mobile Phone Interventions Questionnaire-Patient version (PMPIQ-P). At treatment end, semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted.RESULTS:
Twenty participants were enrolled and 17 (85.0%) participated in the qualitative interview at treatment end. PMPIQ-P scores at baseline ranged from 4.97 to 5.25 (SDs = 0.73-1.04), reflecting moderately high comfort with mobile technology among participants. Qualitative analyses indicated that mostparticipants:
(1) endorsed mobile technology as an appealing format for smoking cessation treatment, due to convenience and instantaneous access; and (2) expressed highest perceived helpfulness for interactive app features. Recommendations to improve SQC clustered into four thematic areas (1) increasing personalization, (2) including more self-tracking features, (3) increasing visual cues, and (4) sharing progress with peers.CONCLUSIONS:
SQC was perceived as an acceptable and useful tool to support smoking cessation in a sample of veteran smokers with PTSD. Qualitative data provided valuable insights that can inform the continued development of SQC and other apps for smoking cessation. IMPLICATIONS Given the high lethality associated with cigarette smoking, it is crucial to identify scalable, low-risk strategies to promote smoking cessation, particularly in high-risk populations. Mobile technology is a promising approach that can be used to augment evidence-based smoking cessation treatment. Results of this qualitative study support the use of the SQC mobile app when incorporated into evidence-based smoking cessation treatment for veterans with PTSD and provide future directions for refinement of the SQC app. These findings also highlight the importance of using a patient-centered approach in designing apps intended for a clinical population.
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Transtornos de Estresse Pós-Traumáticos
/
Veteranos
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Comportamentos Relacionados com a Saúde
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Fumar
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Abandono do Hábito de Fumar
/
Telefone Celular
/
Aplicativos Móveis
Tipo de estudo:
Guideline
/
Prognostic_studies
/
Qualitative_research
Limite:
Adolescent
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Adult
/
Aged
/
Female
/
Humans
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Male
/
Middle aged
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Nicotine Tob Res
Assunto da revista:
SAUDE PUBLICA
Ano de publicação:
2020
Tipo de documento:
Article
País de afiliação:
Canadá