Mobile Health Technology for Personalized Tobacco Cessation Support in Laos

In Lao People's Democratic Republic (Lao PDR), 51% of adult men and 7% of adult women smoke tobacco. The development and evaluation of sustainable tobacco cessation interventions suitable for widespread adoption in nations such as Lao PDR are pressing public health needs. To address this need, the investigators propose a project that adapts a theoretically and empirically based mobile health (mHealth) technology to help people quit smoking cigarettes in Lao PDR. This mHealth approach includes a fully automated, interactive, personalized, smartphone-delivered intervention for behavioral treatment, delivered through our Insight™ platform.

This proposed project for Lao PDR includes 2 main phases. In the R21 Phase, the investigators will use formative research methods to adapt our intervention content to the sociocultural context, language, and communication styles of Laotians. In the subsequent R33 Phase, the investigators will conduct a randomized controlled trial (RCT) to evaluate the efficacy of our mHealth intervention and technology. Adult smokers of both sexes will be recruited through 2 large hospitals: Setthathirath Hospital in Vientiane and Champasak Hospital in Champasak Province. Participants (n=500) will be randomized to 1 of 2 treatment groups: Standard Care (SC; n=250) or Automated Treatment (AT; n=250). SC consists of brief advice to quit smoking delivered by research staff, self-help written materials, and a 2-week supply of NRT (transdermal patches). AT consists of all SC components plus a fully automated smartphone-based treatment program that involves interactive and personalized proactive messages, images, or videos. The primary health outcome of the trial is biochemically confirmed self-reported 7-day point prevalence abstinence 12 months post study enrollment. The project also aims to advance mHealth research capacity in Lao PDR and sustain the US-Lao PDR research network. The project has the potential to transform healthcare services for tobacco cessation treatment throughout the country and, ultimately, to reduce tobacco-induced morbidity and mortality significantly.