APPSPIRE: expanding the reach of an innovative tobacco control program for youth

DESCRIPTIONprovided by applicantMobile phone technology offers a variety of opportunities for innovative approaches to health communication and interventionThese opportunities have been amplified by the emergence of next generation smartphone devices that are capable of rich multimedia and sophisticated interactivitySmartphone based programs can be integrated seamlessly into a userandapos s daily life and natural setting to deliver tailored healt messaginginteractive psychosocial activitiescognitive exercisesmomentary assessments and much moreFew studies to date have evaluated strategies for leveraging smartphone applications to promote tobacco prevention and cessationand very few examples of evidence based tobacco control programs currently exist for this nearly ubiquitous technology platformThisyear Phase II STTR is proposed to enhance and evaluate a smartphone based programAppSPIREwhich provides tailored tobacco cessation and prevention training for adolescents and young adultsThe intervention is based on an existing evidence based computer based program entitled ASPIREand is guided by the Transtheoretical Model of ChangeSocial Cognitive Theoryand Addiction FrameworkThe aims of this study are to enhance a prototype application that was found to be feasibleusable and acceptable in a Phase I studyand to evaluate the program for efficacy amongethnically diverse students at a large urban community college systemThe proposed research will build upon our extensive federally funded line of tobacco and youth projects utilizing behavioral theory and innovative computer technologyThe application is based on the considerable experience gained in a number of highly promising tobacco projects conducted by our investigative teamThis study will significantly advance our understanding of mobile phone technology assisted tobacco control among young tobacco usersIt will inform future work to investigate ways in which m technology may be used for health communication and cancer prevention PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCETobacco use remains a major public health problemSmoking remains the number one cause of preventable death in the United States and accounts for overdeaths each yearThis study proposes an innovative resource for tobacco prevention and cessation that effectively builds on strong previous workaddresses a broad public health concernand will contribute to our understanding of strategies for health communication and intervention via mobile phones