Development and evaluation of a digital tool to increase reach and success rate of smoking cessation among socio-economic disadvantaged smokers

Along with a decrease in its prevalence daily smoking has become an increasingly socially segregated behaviour in the Western countries, with a sharp gradient between affluent and disadvantaged groups.

Since smoking is a major risk factor for morbidity and mortality, the social stratification of smoking contributes substantially to inequity in health.

The higher prevalence of smoking in socioeconomically disadvantaged groups is due to both higher rates of uptake and lower rates of cessation.

Reserch indicates that smoking cessation programs based on state-of-art methods may be both less accessed by low-SES smokers than by high-SES smokers and less effective in low-SES groups.

Using digital tools can contribute to more flexible and accessible smoking cessation support, that can be tailored to individual needs (e.g. offering on time contact with counsellors and possibility to chat with others). This project aims to develop such a tool to support smoking cessation and relapse prevention among low-SES smokers.

First, a qualitative study set up to investigate the specific needs in the target group will be done.

Based on this and a review of existing prototypes and their usability the tool will be developed and tested in a feasibility study for acceptance, understanding and usability in the target group.

The project is based on a collaborative and co-creative approach involving researchers, health care professionals and representatives of the end-users in socially deprived areas.

Such community based participatory research allows for involvement and mobilization of community members which, in addition to improving the outcome of the research project by e.g. facilitating needs assesment and development of the intervention, can contribute to building community capacity and addressing barriers to health in study participants and marginalized communities previously underrepresented in research.