Integration of e-Health tools in primary healthcare settings has the potential to improve knowledge about cessation treatments among smokers and integrate smoking cessation into routine of care.
Background
Of the 14.3 million Mexicans who smoke, only a minority take advantage of evidence-based approaches to smoking cessation. Mobile health interventions have the potential to increase the reach of effective cessation interventions in Mexico.
Objective
This study aimed to assess the feasibility and acceptability of an innovative, personalized, and interactive smoking cessation mobile intervention developed for Mexican smokers.
Methods
We recruited 40 Mexican smokers to participate in
Vive sin Tabaco... ¡Decídete!
, a smoking cessation program that uses a tablet-based decision support software to drive a 12-week text messaging smoking cessation program and pharmacotherapy support. Outcome measures included participant text messaging interactivity with the program, participant satisfaction, and 12-week verified abstinence using urinary cotinine testing or exhaled carbon monoxide.
Results
Average age of the participants was 36 years (SD 10.7), and they were primarily male (65%, 26/40) with at least an undergraduate degree (62%, 25/40). Most participants (95%, 38/40) smoked daily and were interested in quitting in the next 7 days. As an indicator of participant interactivity, participants sent an average of 21 text messages during the 12-week intervention (SD 17.62). Of the 843 messages that participants sent to the program, only 96 messages (11.3%, 96/843) used keywords. At 12 weeks, 40% (16/40) of participants were biochemically verified (87%, 35/40, follow-up rate). The majority of participants (85%, 30/35) reported being very satisfied or extremely satisfied with the program.
Conclusions
The
Vive sin Tabaco... ¡Decídete!
smoking cessation mobile intervention was accepted by participants, generated high satisfaction and high text messaging interactivity, and resulted in a noteworthy cessation rate at the end of treatment. This intervention is a promising strategy for smoking cessation in Mexico. Additional testing as a formal randomized clinical trial appears warranted.
The health care personnel generally were observed to have high values in regard to an attitude of rejection towards GBV. However, we found barriers that show persisting traditional beliefs, such as considering violence to be a personal issue. Therefore, in order, to ensure a substantial improvement, better training about this subject is needed in medical school curricula with an emphasis on the gender perspective. The finding of the present study will allow improvements in health care reforms at the first level of care in the health sector in Nicaragua.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.