JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Smoking tobacco is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality, with women facing greater risks and harm from smoking compared to men. Despite this, women experience lower success rates with traditional smoking cessation treatments, partly due to unique sex- and gender-related factors influencing smoking behavior. Mobile health (mHealth) apps offer a promising approach to address women’s specific needs.

Objective:

To evaluate the acceptability and feasibility of the "My Change Plan – Women" (MCP-W) app, specifically designed for women who smoke.

Methods:

A single-group, prospective, sequential mixed-methods study was conducted among thirty women who smoke, recruited in Ontario, Canada. Participants used the app for 28 days, during which quantitative data on acceptability was collected via surveys, while app usage was monitored to assess feasibility. Semi-structured interviews explored participants’ experiences with the MCP-W app.

Results:

37% of participants rated the MCP-W app as acceptable, with 60% using it for seven or more days, meeting the feasibility criteria. Acceptability was notably higher among participants who used the app for more than 14 days—64% of this group found the app acceptable, compared to only 21% of those who used it for 14 days or fewer. Compared with baseline, smoking behaviours improved, with cigarette consumption decreasing from 16.4 to 14.6 per day and more women attempting to quit in the previous week (6 vs. 2). While motivation to quit remained high, barriers such as stress and life circumstances negatively affected some users' ability to quit smoking as well as engagement with the mHealth app.

Conclusions:

The MCP-W app is a feasible intervention for delivering gender-informed smoking cessation support. However, its acceptability was limited to more engaged users. Improving the app’s interactivity and offering additional psychosocial support could improve its acceptability and feasibility among women smokers.