Hope Aimie, Naughton Felix, Notley Caitlin
School of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Addiction Research Group, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK.
Br J Health Psychol. 2025 Sep;30(3):e70010. doi: 10.1111/bjhp.70010.
Quit Sense is a Just-in-Time Adaptive Intervention (JITAI) smartphone app that provides real-time automated and in-situ support to help people attempting to quit smoking manage cue-induced cravings. This process evaluation study explored views and experiences of feasibility trial participants and assessed: (1) intervention experiences, (2) how these might help explain causal pathways towards behaviour change and (3) experiences of study participation.
Qualitative interviews nested within a two-arm feasibility randomized control trial.
We purposefully sampled 20 participants (15 intervention, 5 usual care) for semi-structured telephone interviews. Data were thematically analysed and was supplemented with a descriptive analysis of relevant experiences to hypothesize causal pathways to behaviour change.
Motivations for engaging in the trial and intervention included wanting greater accountability and to be part of something. Reasons for disengaging included successfully quitting (app no longer needed), lapsing/relapsing and preferring other support types. Mechanisms which reportedly enabled successful quit attempts included the app's prequit preparation phase through insights into smoking cues, the delivery of lapse avoidance strategies and the supportive messages which helped to reinforce the goal of quitting. The trial was conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided examples of situations and contexts in which Quit Sense was used and felt to be (un)helpful for cessation.
The Quit Sense app and trial were well received by participants. Participants reported that the preparation phase used for app training prior to their quit date was of particular value and not currently offered by other apps tried.
“戒烟意识”是一款即时自适应干预（JITAI）智能手机应用程序，可提供实时自动和现场支持，以帮助试图戒烟的人应对线索引发的渴望。这项过程评估研究探讨了可行性试验参与者的观点和经历，并评估了：（1）干预经历；（2）这些经历如何有助于解释行为改变的因果途径；（3）参与研究的经历。
在双臂可行性随机对照试验中进行定性访谈。
我们有目的地抽取了20名参与者（15名干预组，5名常规护理组）进行半结构化电话访谈。对数据进行了主题分析，并辅以对相关经历的描述性分析，以推测行为改变的因果途径。
参与试验和干预的动机包括希望有更高的责任感并成为其中一部分。退出的原因包括成功戒烟（不再需要该应用程序）、复吸/再次复发以及更喜欢其他类型的支持。据报道，促成成功戒烟尝试的机制包括该应用程序在戒烟前的准备阶段，通过洞察吸烟线索、提供避免复吸的策略以及有助于强化戒烟目标的支持性信息。该试验在新冠疫情期间进行，并提供了使用“戒烟意识”应用程序并感觉其对戒烟（无）帮助的情况和背景示例。
“戒烟意识”应用程序和试验受到了参与者的好评。参与者报告说，在戒烟日期之前用于应用程序培训的准备阶段特别有价值，而其他试用过的应用程序目前并未提供这一阶段。
