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Accepted for/Published in: JMIR mHealth and uHealth

Date Submitted: Nov 11, 2024
Date Accepted: Jul 10, 2025

The final, peer-reviewed published version of this preprint can be found here:

Effectiveness of a Digital Peer-Supported App Intervention in Promoting Smoking Cessations: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial

Yoshihara S, Takahashi K, Uemura C, Murakami S, Harada D, Yamato H

Effectiveness of a Digital Peer-Supported App Intervention in Promoting Smoking Cessations: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2025;13:e68638

DOI: 10.2196/68638

PMID: 40829152

PMCID: 12364421

Warning: This is an author submission that is not peer-reviewed or edited.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.

Effectiveness of a Digital Peer-Supported Application Intervention in Promoting Smoking Cessation

  • Shota Yoshihara; 
  • Kayoko Takahashi; 
  • Chiaki Uemura; 
  • Shin Murakami; 
  • Daichi Harada; 
  • Hiroshi Yamato

ABSTRACT

Background:

Background:

Smoking cessation has become a global priority, with peer support interventions shown to improve abstinence rates. However, the effectiveness of digital peer-supported app for smoking cessation has not been extensively studied.

Objective:

Objective:

This study aimed to assess whether adding a digital peer-supported app to standard nicotine gums improves 12-week smoking abstinence rates among nicotine-dependent patients in working settings.

Methods:

Methods:

A prospective study was conducted with adult smokers in Japan. Participants were divided into either an intervention group (digital peer-supported app + nicotine gums) or a control group (nicotine gums only). The digital peer-supported app creates a group chat for up to five people aimed at smoking cessation, where participants can anonymously post counts, photos, and comments daily. Logistic regression analysis was used to compare the smoking cessation abstinence rates between the two groups.

Results:

Results:

The intervention group exhibited a higher smoking abstinence rate at 12 weeks compared to the control group (59.2% vs. 38.7%). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) was 2.41 (2.00–2.90), indicating a significant impact of digital peer support. Both higher duration of digital peer-supported app usage and increased posting frequency were positively associated with cessation success (p for trend < 0.01).

Conclusions:

Conclusions:

smoking; smoking cessation; digital therapeutics; peer support; digital peer support app; mHealth; mobile health; apps


 Citation

Please cite as:

Yoshihara S, Takahashi K, Uemura C, Murakami S, Harada D, Yamato H

Effectiveness of a Digital Peer-Supported App Intervention in Promoting Smoking Cessations: Nonrandomized Controlled Trial

JMIR Mhealth Uhealth 2025;13:e68638

DOI: 10.2196/68638

PMID: 40829152

PMCID: 12364421

Per the author's request the PDF is not available.