Testing a smartphone app to help nondaily smokers quit smoking
Official title: Randomized clinical trial to test the efficacy of a smartphone app for smoking cessation for nondaily smokers
Funded at Massachusetts General Hospital · NIH-10898828 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is testing a friendly smartphone app called Smiling Instead of Smoking to see if it can help people who smoke occasionally and want to quit by using positive exercises to keep their spirits up, comparing it to regular support methods.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Massachusetts General Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | August 3, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $651,804 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA282223-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10898828 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults aged 21 and older who smoke nondaily and are motivated to quit.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who smoke daily or are not interested in quitting smoking may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the effectiveness of a smartphone app called Smiling Instead of Smoking (SiS) designed specifically for nondaily smokers who wish to quit. The app incorporates positive psychology exercises to help users maintain a positive mindset during their quit attempts. By focusing on enhancing engagement and positive affect, the app aims to provide a supportive tool for individuals who may not have found success with traditional smoking cessation methods. Participants will be randomly assigned to either use the app or receive standard care, allowing researchers to assess its impact on smoking cessation rates.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide a novel and effective tool for nondaily smokers to achieve smoking cessation and improve their overall health.
How similar studies have gone: While previous trials have focused on pharmacological options for nondaily smoking cessation, this behavioral approach using a smartphone app is novel and has not been extensively tested.
Where this research is happening
-
Massachusetts General Hospital
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hoeppner, Bettina B. — Massachusetts General Hospital
- Study coordinator: Hoeppner, Bettina B.
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Social stress and smoking: why disadvantaged young adults struggle to quit
This grant looks at how daily social stress affects if and when disadvantaged young adults who smoke can quit and stay quit.
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I-STOP: a mobile health program to help people with HIV quit smoking
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Smoking cessation help for people with HIV in South Africa
A program is being tested to help people living with HIV in South Africa quit smoking in ways that fit low-resource clinics and show good value.
-
Mobile tools to understand how sleep affects quitting smoking
This project uses a smartphone to track sleep and smoking in lower-income adults trying to quit to find how sleep patterns relate to staying smoke-free.
-
Integrated approach to lung screening and quitting for African Americans
A multi-level program aims to boost LDCT lung cancer screening uptake and help African American smokers quit, with support from a comprehensive community-focused plan.
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Peer-led smoking-cessation program for public housing residents
A peer-led program with eight group sessions plus nicotine replacement therapy is tested on adults living in public housing to help them quit smoking.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.