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Technology Smart watches could help people quit smoking, according to researchers who have developed an app that intervenes when movements that indicate cigarette use are detected.
A team at the University of Bristol has created software that uses motion sensors on an Android smartwatch to identify typical smoking hand movements.
When detected, the app delivers a vibration alert with a text message designed by smokers and ex-smokers, offering smoking cessation support on the smartwatch screen.
One message reads “Quitting smoking allows you to breathe easier. Quitting is good”, while others contain the sum of cigarettes smoked and the total number of cigarettes smoked that day.
After reading a message, participants can swipe it or press a button to display access information NHS online smoking cessation support sites.
Chris Stone, from the University of Bristol’s Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, said: “For those trying to quit, the initial break is a vulnerable moment and a risk of leading to a full relapse.
This study shows that smartwatches could be a useful method to help people quit smoking, but more research is needed to understand how effective they are.
Alizee Froguel, Cancer Research UK
“People like smart watches. They like the idea that it delivers a message the moment they smoke.
“Therefore, if we can identify this sticking point and intervene precisely at that point, we have an opportunity to improve the success of the quit attempt.
“In carrying out this project, we aimed to take the latest thinking in intervention design and deliver it in a practical wearable package with minimal user burden and maximum engagement in behavior change; and in doing so, make a difference in people’s lives.”
In the study, published in JMIR Formative Research, a smartwatch app was tested on 18 people who were interested in quitting smoking.
They wore the Ticwatch loaded with a custom app for two weeks, from the time they woke up until they went to bed when they were instructed to charge it overnight.
Participants were also advised to remove the smartwatch while showering, swimming or doing any activities that could damage it, such as contact sports.
At the end of the two-week period, they sent the watch back and filled out a 27-question questionnaire.
Overall, 66% of participants said it was acceptable to wear a smartwatch with technology, while 61% of respondents said the content of the messages was relevant to them.
Positive feedback included people reporting that the app raised awareness about smoking, made them feel positive about quitting, made them stop and think, smoked a little less, and gave them constant encouragement.
Negative responses were that repeated messages lost effectiveness, the message did not appear quickly enough, there was not enough variety of messages, and some were unclear.
Alizee Froguel, Prevention Policy Manager at Cancer Research UK, said: “Smoking is the biggest cause of cancer in the UK and stopping work completely is the best thing you can do for your health.
“This study shows that smartwatches could be a useful method to help people quit smoking, but more research is needed to understand how effective they are.
“There are many tools that can help people quit smoking, and getting support from your local free stop smoking service will give you the best chance of successfully quitting.
“To help create a smoke-free future, the UK Government must ensure that smoking cessation services are sustainably funded and accessible to all.”
To qualify for the study, participants had to be between 18 and 70 years old and smoke more than 10 cigarettes a day with their right hand.
People with any movement problems affecting their right hand or arm, or those who used e-cigarettes or any form of nicotine replacement therapy during the study period, were excluded from participation.
The researchers believe their app is the first timely intervention to prevent smoking relapse that works entirely on a smartwatch and doesn’t need to be paired with a smartphone.
They call for a long-term effectiveness test, which could use a larger number of messages, as the next step.
Their work is part of the smoking cessation theme of the UK-funded Integrative Cancer Epidemiology Program (ICEP).
The study, Presentation and evaluation of a smartwatch-based intervention for smoking relapse (Stopwatch): a feasibility and acceptability study, by Chris Stone et al., is published in JMIR Formative Research.