Mobile Application for Guided Imagery to Address Smoking, Diet and Physical Activity

Detailed Summary

Tobacco use among women now approaches that of men, with approximately 27 million women smokers in the United States alone. Women report greater difficulties quitting smoking and are more likely to relapse than men. In addition, tobacco use co-varies with poor dietary practices and lack of physical activity, with 92% of smokers reporting at least one other health risk factor. Concerns surrounding weight gain, negative body image, and low self-efficacy, may be key factors affecting smoking cessation among weight-concerned women smokers. Guided imagery has been successfully employed in separate lines of inquiry to address physical activity, diet and smoking cessation. However, guided imagery has not been employed to target weight concerned women who smoke or to simultaneously target smoking, diet, and exercise behavior in a single intervention. The proposed study would be the first of its kind to create a theory-based, guided imagery intervention to assist weight-concerned women smokers to quit. The use of a mobile app offers an innovative approach to addressing the multiple behaviors involved in smoking cessation efforts of weight-concerned women, and has the potential to reach large numbers of women smokers. The project aims to develop and test the feasibility of a mobile health application using guided imagery in order to increase smoking cessation among a population of weight-concerned women smokers.

Study Details

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Interventions