Accepted for/Published in: JMIR Formative Research
Date Submitted: Mar 9, 2024
Date Accepted: Jul 25, 2024
Perceptions of mobile technologies use for smoking cessation: A focus group study with individuals of low socioeconomic status who smoke
ABSTRACT
Background:
Little is known about users’ perceptions of mobile technologies as smoking cessation aids, particularly among disadvantaged smokers.
Objective:
This study examined acceptance of mobile technologies for smoking cessation among low socioeconomic young adult smokers.
Methods:
Thirty-eight current cigarette smokers, 18 to 29 years old, who did not have a four-year college degree nor were enrolled in a four-year college, participated in 12 semi-structured virtual focus groups. Discussions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim, and coded for the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology constructs (i.e., effort expectancy, facilitators and barriers, performance expectancy, social influence), sentiment (i.e., negative, neutral, positive), and purpose of using mobile technologies (i.e., health and lifestyle management, smoking cessation).
Results:
Participants had positive experiences using mobile technologies for health and lifestyle management, primarily for fitness and diet. Salient themes were facilitators and barriers of use (55.00%), with prior experiences and costs subthemes, followed by perceived usefulness of mobile technologies in helping users attain health goals (27.50%), which were generally positive. Ease of use (13.75%) and social influences (3.75%) were minimally discussed. Conversely, participants had limited awareness of smoking cessation uses of mobile technologies, which was the primary barrier under facilitators and barriers discussed (64.70%). Participants expressed skepticism about the usefulness of mobile technologies in helping them quit smoking (27.45%). Effort expectancy was not discussed given participants’ limited prior use. Social influences on mobile technologies use for smoking cessation were minimally discussed (7.84%).
Conclusions:
The use of mobile technologies for smoking cessation was unknown to low socioeconomic young adult smokers. To reduce cigarette smoking and associated health disparities, increasing awareness and use of evidence-based mobile-based smoking cessation interventions are needed. Smoking cessation interventions should incorporate features perceived as useful and easy to use to capitalize on positive user experiences and acceptability of mobile technologies for health and lifestyle management.
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