Adapting a Mobile Health App for Smoking Cessation in Black Adults With Anxiety Through an Analysis of the Mobile Anxiety Sensitivity Program Proof-of-Concept Trial: Qualitative Study
Authors: Cheney Marshall K , Alexander Adam C , Garey Lorra , Gallagher Matthew W , Hébert Emily T , Vujanovic Anka A , Kezbers Krista M , Matoska Cameron T , Zvolensky Michael J , Businelle Michael S 
Published: February 2025

Background

At least half of smokers make a serious quit attempt each year, but Black adults who smoke are less likely than White adults who smoke to quit smoking successfully. Black adults who smoke and have high anxiety sensitivity (an individual difference factor implicated in smoking relapse and culturally relevant to Black adults) are even less successful. The Mobile Anxiety Sensitivity Program for Smoking (MASP) is a smoking cessation smartphone app culturally tailored to Black adults who smoke to increase smoking cessation rates by targeting anxiety sensitivity.

Objective

This study examined the acceptability and feasibility of the MASP smartphone app following a 6-week pilot test through postintervention qualitative interviews.

Methods

The MASP smoking cessation app was adapted from an evidence-based app by adding culturally tailored narration and images specific to the Black community, educational content on tobacco use in the Black community and the role of menthol, culturally tailored messages, and addressing tobacco use and racial discrimination. The MASP app was piloted with 24 adults with high anxiety sensitivity who identified as Black, smoked daily, and were not currently using medications or psychotherapy for smoking cessation. At the end of the 6-week pilot test, 21/24 participants (67% female; 95.2% non-Hispanic; mean age=47.3 years; 43% college educated; 86% single or separated) completed an audio-recorded semistructured interview assessing the acceptability and utility of the app, individual experiences, barriers to use, the cultural fit for Black adults who wanted to quit smoking, and identified areas for improvement. Transcribed interviews were coded using NVivo (Lumivero), and then analyzed for themes using an inductive, use-focused process.

Results

Most participants (17/21, 81%) had smoked for more than 20 years and 29% (6/21) of them smoked more than 20 cigarettes daily. Participants felt the MASP app was helpful in quitting smoking (20/21, 95%) and made them more aware of smoking thoughts, feelings, and behaviors (16/19, 84%). Half of the participants (11/21, 52%) thought the combination of medication and smartphone app gave them the best chance of quitting smoking. Themes related to participant experiences using the app included establishing trust and credibility through the recruitment experience, providing personally tailored content linked to evidence-based stress reduction techniques, and self-reflection through daily surveys. The culturally tailored material increased app relevance, engagement, and acceptability. Suggested improvements included opportunities to engage with other participants, more control over app functions, and additional self-monitoring functions.

Conclusions

Adding culturally tailored material to an evidence-based mobile health (mHealth) intervention could increase the use of smoking cessation interventions among Black adults who want to quit smoking. Qualitative interviews provide mHealth app developers important insights into how apps can be improved before full study implementation and emphasize the importance of getting feedback from the target population throughout the development process of mHealth interventions.

Trial Registration

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04838236; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04838236