Eliciting Preferences for the Uptake of Smoking Cessation Apps: Discrete Choice Experiment
BackgroundIf the most evidence-based and effective smoking cessation apps are not selected by smokers wanting to quit, their potential to support cessation is limited. ObjectiveThis study sought to determine the attributes that influence smoking cessation app upta...
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JMIR Publications
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| Online Access: | https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e37083 |
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| author | Dorothy Szinay Rory A Cameron Andy Jones Jennifer A Whitty Tim Chadborn Jamie Brown Felix Naughton |
| author_facet | Dorothy Szinay Rory A Cameron Andy Jones Jennifer A Whitty Tim Chadborn Jamie Brown Felix Naughton |
| author_sort | Dorothy Szinay |
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BackgroundIf the most evidence-based and effective smoking cessation apps are not selected by smokers wanting to quit, their potential to support cessation is limited.
ObjectiveThis study sought to determine the attributes that influence smoking cessation app uptake and understand their relative importance to support future efforts to present evidence-based apps more effectively to maximize uptake.
MethodsAdult smokers from the United Kingdom were invited to participate in a discrete choice experiment. Participants made 12 choices between two hypothetical smoking cessation app alternatives, with five predefined attributes reflecting domains from the theoretical domains framework: (1) monthly price of the app (environmental resources), (2) credible source as app developer (social influence), (3) social proof as star rating (social influence), (4) app description type (beliefs about consequences), and (5) images shown (beliefs about consequences); or opting out (choosing neither app). Preferences and the relative importance of attributes were estimated using mixed logit modeling. Willingness to pay and predicted uptake of the most and least preferred app were also calculated.
ResultsA total of 337 adult smokers completed the survey (n=168, 49.8% female; mean age 35, SD 11 years). Participants selected a smoking cessation app rather than opting out for 90% of the choices. Relative to other attributes, a 4.8-star user rating, representing social proof, was the strongest driver of app selection (mean preference parameter 2.27, SD 1.55; 95% CI 1.95-2.59). Participants preferred an app developed by health care–orientated trusted organization (credible source) over a hypothetical company (mean preference parameter 0.93, SD 1.23; 95% CI 0.72-1.15), with a logo and screenshots over logo only (mean preference parameter 0.39, SD 0.96; 95% CI 0.19-0.59), and with a lower monthly cost (mean preference parameter –0.38, SD 0.33; 95% CI –0.44 to –0.32). App description did not influence preferences. The uptake estimate for the best hypothetical app was 93% and for the worst, 3%. Participants were willing to pay a single payment of up to an additional US $6.96 (UK £5.49) for 4.8-star ratings, US $3.58 (UK £2.82) for 4-star ratings, and US $2.61(UK £2.06) for an app developed by a trusted organization.
ConclusionsOn average, social proof appeared to be the most influential factor in app uptake, followed by credible source, one perceived as most likely to provide evidence-based apps. These attributes may support the selection of evidence-based apps. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d2bc4b642d654733b4595152b1766cf5 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1438-8871 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | JMIR Publications |
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| series | Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| spelling | doaj-art-d2bc4b642d654733b4595152b1766cf52025-01-14T15:45:31ZengJMIR PublicationsJournal of Medical Internet Research1438-88712025-01-0127e3708310.2196/37083Eliciting Preferences for the Uptake of Smoking Cessation Apps: Discrete Choice ExperimentDorothy Szinayhttps://orcid.org/0000-0003-2722-6758Rory A Cameronhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-7442-0935Andy Joneshttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-3130-9313Jennifer A Whittyhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-5886-1933Tim Chadbornhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-6264-3843Jamie Brownhttps://orcid.org/0000-0002-2797-5428Felix Naughtonhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-9790-2796 BackgroundIf the most evidence-based and effective smoking cessation apps are not selected by smokers wanting to quit, their potential to support cessation is limited. ObjectiveThis study sought to determine the attributes that influence smoking cessation app uptake and understand their relative importance to support future efforts to present evidence-based apps more effectively to maximize uptake. MethodsAdult smokers from the United Kingdom were invited to participate in a discrete choice experiment. Participants made 12 choices between two hypothetical smoking cessation app alternatives, with five predefined attributes reflecting domains from the theoretical domains framework: (1) monthly price of the app (environmental resources), (2) credible source as app developer (social influence), (3) social proof as star rating (social influence), (4) app description type (beliefs about consequences), and (5) images shown (beliefs about consequences); or opting out (choosing neither app). Preferences and the relative importance of attributes were estimated using mixed logit modeling. Willingness to pay and predicted uptake of the most and least preferred app were also calculated. ResultsA total of 337 adult smokers completed the survey (n=168, 49.8% female; mean age 35, SD 11 years). Participants selected a smoking cessation app rather than opting out for 90% of the choices. Relative to other attributes, a 4.8-star user rating, representing social proof, was the strongest driver of app selection (mean preference parameter 2.27, SD 1.55; 95% CI 1.95-2.59). Participants preferred an app developed by health care–orientated trusted organization (credible source) over a hypothetical company (mean preference parameter 0.93, SD 1.23; 95% CI 0.72-1.15), with a logo and screenshots over logo only (mean preference parameter 0.39, SD 0.96; 95% CI 0.19-0.59), and with a lower monthly cost (mean preference parameter –0.38, SD 0.33; 95% CI –0.44 to –0.32). App description did not influence preferences. The uptake estimate for the best hypothetical app was 93% and for the worst, 3%. Participants were willing to pay a single payment of up to an additional US $6.96 (UK £5.49) for 4.8-star ratings, US $3.58 (UK £2.82) for 4-star ratings, and US $2.61(UK £2.06) for an app developed by a trusted organization. ConclusionsOn average, social proof appeared to be the most influential factor in app uptake, followed by credible source, one perceived as most likely to provide evidence-based apps. These attributes may support the selection of evidence-based apps.https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e37083 |
| spellingShingle | Dorothy Szinay Rory A Cameron Andy Jones Jennifer A Whitty Tim Chadborn Jamie Brown Felix Naughton Eliciting Preferences for the Uptake of Smoking Cessation Apps: Discrete Choice Experiment Journal of Medical Internet Research |
| title | Eliciting Preferences for the Uptake of Smoking Cessation Apps: Discrete Choice Experiment |
| title_full | Eliciting Preferences for the Uptake of Smoking Cessation Apps: Discrete Choice Experiment |
| title_fullStr | Eliciting Preferences for the Uptake of Smoking Cessation Apps: Discrete Choice Experiment |
| title_full_unstemmed | Eliciting Preferences for the Uptake of Smoking Cessation Apps: Discrete Choice Experiment |
| title_short | Eliciting Preferences for the Uptake of Smoking Cessation Apps: Discrete Choice Experiment |
| title_sort | eliciting preferences for the uptake of smoking cessation apps discrete choice experiment |
| url | https://www.jmir.org/2025/1/e37083 |
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