A Smartphone Application for People Who are Not Ready to Quit Smoking: A Post-intervention Qualitative Assessment of the Phoenix Project

PurposeTo assess the acceptability and feasibility of the Phoenix smoking cessation smartphone app in people who smoke and are not yet ready to quit.Approach/DesignPost-intervention telephone interview.SettingOklahoma and Texas.ParticipantsAdults who were not ready to quit smoking at baseline (71% female, 76% White, mean age 52.6 years).InterventionThis 26-week 3-arm randomized controlled trial examined the utility of the Phoenix app which encouraged and provided support for smoking cessation attempts through twice-daily messages and weekly surveys.MethodsParticipants (100/152) completed an audio-recorded interview that assessed app engagement including benefits, barriers, most useful features, and suggested app modifications. Transcribed interviews were coded and analyzed for themes.ResultsAdults who were not ready to quit smoking experienced few barriers to using Phoenix app content, and reported increased self-reflection, awareness of smoking behaviors, and motivation to quit smoking in response to the tailored messages and weekly assessments. Participants with less control over daily schedules wanted more access to missed messages and surveys. Messages and surveys were helpful, but participants suggested increasing the variety of message and survey content.ConclusionAdults not yet ready to quit smoking are receptive to using mHealth smoking cessation apps to reduce/quit smoking. mHealth applications can increase access to evidence-based smoking cessation interventions and may be an effective tool for reducing smoking disparities.