JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Mobile health (mHealth) strategies for smoking cessation (e.g., text-messaging-based interventions) have been shown to be effective in helping smokers quit. However, further research is needed to better understand user experiences with these platforms.

Objective:

This qualitative study explored the experiences of real-world users of a publicly available smoking cessation program (SmokefreeTXT).

Methods:

Semi-structured phone interviews were conducted with 36 SmokefreeTXT users, between March and July 2014. Questions focused on participants’ perceptions about program structure, content, and reasons for opting out of SmokefreeTXT. A thematic content analysis was conducted, with a focus on themes to increase program engagement and optimization.

Results:

The findings highlighted features of the program that participants found beneficial, as well as some elements that show opportunities for improvement to boost program retention and successful cessation. We also found that program completion does not necessarily indicate successful smoking cessation and that program opt-out, which may be interpreted as a less positive outcome, may occur because of successful cessation. Finally, several participants reported using SmokefreeTXT together with other evidence-based cessation methods, and/or with non-evidence-based strategies.

Conclusions:

Our findings demonstrate the importance of allowing customization of text message frequency within cessation text programs, the limitations of measuring cessation “success” through program opt-out versus retention, and the importance of recommending evidence-based cessation resources (including live support for participants that prefer human interaction during the cessation process) to be used with smoking cessation text programs.