Mobile application proves effective in smoking cessation study at University of Oulu

Could a mobile application help people quit smoking? This was the question that prompted a research team led by Professor Jussi Koivunen and specialist doctor Sanna Iivainen. Years prior, they had developed a mobile app for cancer patients featuring electronic symptom questionnaires, which inspired the idea that such an app could also assist in smoking cessation.

The results were surprising: users of the app quit smoking three times more often than those using traditional written materials. “It was genuinely surprising how effective the app was compared to traditional written cessation resources,” Iivainen stated.

The study, conducted at the University of Oulu, involved 201 smokers who were invited for lung cancer screening. All participants had a long history of smoking, having smoked for at least 25 years and consumed a minimum of 10 cigarettes daily. They were divided into two groups: one utilizing the app and the other receiving standard literature based on the Finnish national treatment guidelines. About 20% of app users quit smoking compared to just 7% in the literature group.

Koivunen emphasized the rigorous testing of the app, likening it to pharmaceutical trials, noting that its results were comparable, if not superior, to many medications.

In the app, users can create a personalized quitting plan, set a target quit date, and access symptom questionnaires, mindfulness exercises, and even a support avatar. The app also allows for tracking daily cigarette consumption, which users found helpful for self-reflection.

A new and improved version of the app is in development, with future plans for broader research use and potential availability in app stores. Both researchers believe mobile applications could pave the way for innovative treatments for various addictions given their cost-effective and personalized support features.