Trying to quit smoking? Using an appropriate app will help you more than having no support at all, according to new research. — dpa
People who are trying to stop smoking could benefit from using a mobile phone app to assist their quit attempt, a study has found.
Researchers found that apps designed to help smoking cessation are particularly effective when used alongside the appropriate medication.
But even when used as a single tool, they can be effective as a quit aid, the study suggests.
Academics from China examined data from all studies ascertaining the effectiveness of stop-smoking apps.
The new review pooled the information from 31 studies involving 12,800 people.
They found that smartphone apps used alone may improve the odds of a person kicking the habit for six months, compared with no or minimal support.
When combined with “traditional interventions”, smartphone apps increased the odds of people steering clear from cigarettes for six months.
And when combined with medicines to stop smoking, the apps appeared to enhance a person’s ability to quit for six months compared with medicines alone, though the research team said that this finding was based on “low-certainty evidence”.
Apps based on psychological-behavioural theories increased abstinence compared with “traditional behavioural apps”, they added.
“Smartphone apps may be effective for smoking cessation compared with no or minimal support,” the authors wrote in the journal BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine.
“When combined with traditional interventions – especially pharmacotherapy – they may result in large increases in abstinence rates over traditional methods alone.”
They added: “Smartphone apps provide a scalable, low-cost option for clinical resource-limited settings.
“This systematic review provides actionable evidence for clinicians seeking to tailor digital tools and policymakers aiming to scale cessation services.
“Should future evidence confirm lasting benefits and pinpoint key features, rigorously validated apps could become a cornerstone of global tobacco control efforts.” – PA Media/dpa
