Yoshihara Shota, Takahashi Kayoko, Uemura Chiaki, Murakami Shin, Harada Daichi, Yamato Hiroshi
Department of Rehabilitation Sciences, Kitasato University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kitasato 1-15-1, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, 252-0373, Japan, 81 042 778 8111.
A10 Lab Inc, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2025 Aug 19;13:e68638. doi: 10.2196/68638.
Smoking cessation has become a global priority, with peer support interventions shown to improve abstinence rates. However, no studies have examined the effectiveness of a group-based digital peer-supported app combined with nicotine gum for smoking cessation among working populations.
This study aimed to assess whether adding a digital peer-supported app to standard nicotine gums improves 12-week smoking abstinence rates among current working smokers in employment-based settings.
A nonrandomized comparison trial was conducted with current working smokers in Japan. Eligible participants smoked at least 1 cigarette per day, owned a smartphone (iOS or Android), and were enrolled in their company's health insurance program. Participants were self-selected into one of the two intervention groups (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 5 people aimed at smoking cessation, where participants can anonymously post counts, photos, and comments daily. Logistic regression analyses adjusted for demographic and smoking-related variables were used to estimate the odds ratios for smoking cessation. Engagement with the app (usage days and posting frequency) was analyzed within the intervention groups.
A total of 451 participants were included in the per-protocol analysis (260 in the intervention groups and 191 in the control group). The 12-week abstinence rate was significantly higher in the digital peer-supported app + nicotine gum group compared to the gum-only group (59.2% [154/260] vs 38.7% [74/191]). The adjusted odds ratio of smoking cessation was 2.41 (95% CI 2.07-2.81), 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 <.001).
The addition of a digital peer-supported app to nicotine gum use significantly improved smoking cessation outcomes among working smokers. These findings provide preliminary evidence for the feasibility and effectiveness of integrating group-based digital peer support into smoking cessation interventions.
戒烟已成为全球优先事项，同伴支持干预措施已被证明可提高戒烟率。然而，尚无研究探讨基于群组的数字同伴支持应用程序与尼古丁口香糖相结合对在职人群戒烟的有效性。
本研究旨在评估在标准尼古丁口香糖基础上添加数字同伴支持应用程序是否能提高在职吸烟者在基于就业的环境中的12周戒烟率。
在日本对在职吸烟者进行了一项非随机对照试验。符合条件的参与者每天至少吸1支烟，拥有智能手机（iOS或安卓系统），并参加了公司的健康保险计划。参与者自行选择进入两个干预组之一（数字同伴支持应用程序+尼古丁口香糖）或对照组（仅尼古丁口香糖）。数字同伴支持应用程序创建一个最多5人的群组聊天，目标是戒烟，参与者可以每天匿名发布吸烟数量、照片和评论。使用针对人口统计学和吸烟相关变量进行调整的逻辑回归分析来估计戒烟的优势比。在干预组内分析对应用程序的参与度（使用天数和发布频率）。
共有451名参与者纳入符合方案分析（干预组260名，对照组191名）。与仅使用口香糖组相比，数字同伴支持应用程序+尼古丁口香糖组的12周戒烟率显著更高（59.2%[154/260]对38.7%[74/191]）。调整后的戒烟优势比为2.41（95%CI 2.07-2.81），表明数字同伴支持有显著影响。数字同伴支持应用程序使用时间越长和发布频率增加均与戒烟成功呈正相关（趋势P<.001）。
在使用尼古丁口香糖的基础上添加数字同伴支持应用程序可显著改善在职吸烟者的戒烟效果。这些发现为将基于群组的数字同伴支持纳入戒烟干预措施的可行性和有效性提供了初步证据。
