Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth
Date Submitted: Jun 16, 2021
Date Accepted: Jan 7, 2022
(closed for review but you can still tweet)
Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited. Preprints - unless they show as "accepted" - should not be relied on to guide clinical practice or health-related behavior and should not be reported in news media as established information.
Smartphone apps for vaping cessation: a quality assessment and content analysis
ABSTRACT
Background:
As the prevalence of e-cigarette use, or vaping, continues to grow, particularly among young people, so does the need for research and interventions to address vaping. Smartphone apps are a potential way to offer support and promote successful quit attempts among help-seeking e-cigarette users, or vapers, at a time when few vaping cessation interventions are available.
Objective:
The current study examined the quality of smartphone apps for vaping cessations based on their popularity, technical aspects, and adherence to clinically-relevant criteria.
Methods:
A systematic search of existing apps for vaping cessation was conducted in December 2020. Eligible apps were free, in English, and included features specifically targeting vaping cessation. Each app included in the analysis was used daily for at least seven consecutive days, assessed using a multidimensional scale, and rated by at least two authors based on adherence to clinical practice guidelines. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) estimates were computed to assess inter-rater reliability (excellent agreement, ICC = 0.92, 95% CI = 0.78-0.98).
Results:
Eight apps were included in the quality assessment and content analysis: three were developed specifically for vaping cessation and five were focused on smoking cessation while also claiming to address vaping cessation. The mean of app quality total scores was 3.66 out of 5. Existing vaping cessation apps employ similar approaches to smoking cessation apps. However, they are very low in number and have limited features developed specifically for vaping cessation.
Conclusions:
Given the lack of vaping cessation interventions at a time when they are urgently needed, vaping cessation apps are potentially valuable tools. To maximize their benefits, these apps need to undergo rigorous evaluations that can assess their quality, evidence base, and effectiveness in driving health behaviour change.
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