# Feasibility and efficacy of a real-time smoking intervention using wearable technology

## TL;DR

A smartband that detects smoking and provides real-time feedback was found to be feasible and potentially helpful in reducing smoking.

## Contribution

This study demonstrates the feasibility of using wearable technology to monitor and provide real-time feedback on smoking behavior in a clinical setting.

## Key findings

- Participants reported high satisfaction with the smartband and would recommend it to others.
- The experimental group had more smoke-free days and greater reductions in cigarettes smoked per day.
- The study supports the potential of smartband technology to improve smoking cessation outcomes.

## Abstract

Wearable technology can use gesture detection to identify smoking behavior and provide real-time feedback. Receiving notifications when smoking occurs may help increase awareness of smoking behavior to help promote change. The current study sought to examine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of using a smartband for real-time smoking feedback as an adjunct to standard tobacco treatment in an outpatient hospital setting. We enrolled 38 adults (age M = 57.4, SD = 8.5, 63% female, race/ethnicity: 16% Hispanic, 68% White, 24% Black, 5% Multiracial) who smoked cigarettes daily (M = 17.2, SD = 10.9 cigarettes per day). All received standard tobacco treatment and participants were randomized to a control group (n = 20) or experimental group (receiving real-time smoking notifications from a smartband, n = 18) for 8 weeks. Participants wore the smartband on average for 45.6 (SD = 17.0) days out of the 56 days of treatment and 83.3% said they would recommend the smartband to others to help them quit smoking, indicating high adherence and satisfaction. Measures of smoking behavior favored the experimental group, although differences were not statistically significant. Rates of biochemically confirmed 7-day point-prevalence abstinence were 11% and 5% for the experimental and control groups, respectively. Those in the experimental group reported more percent days smoke-free (M = 12.4%, SD = 27.2% vs. control M = 6.9%, SD = 14.6%, cohen’s d = .26) and had larger reductions in cigarettes smoked per day (CPD) (mean change in CPD = 10.2, SD = 12.2 vs. control mean change in CPD = 7.7, SD = 6.5, cohen’s d = .26) during treatment. Findings support the feasibility of using smartband technology for smoking monitoring with adults from an outpatient hospital setting and show promise for improving cessation outcomes above and beyond standard tobacco treatment. Additional large-scale clinical trials are needed.

Quitting smoking is challenging and innovative treatments are needed to improve quitting success. Smoking is highly automatic, and people often smoke without thinking about it. We tested the use of wearable smartband technology that can monitor smoking in real time using sensors in the smartband. This technology can provide additional support by notifying people when they are smoking to help them become more aware of their smoking triggers and provide opportunities to try alternative coping strategies. We enrolled patients who were receiving tobacco treatment and tested whether adding a smartband that provided real-time smoking monitoring helped with quitting smoking. We discovered that people enjoyed wearing the smartband, found it helpful for reducing their smoking, and had more smoke-free days during treatment. These findings provide new information that smartbands may be a useful tool to help people quit smoking.