Using exercise to help adults with high anxiety sensitivity quit smoking
Official title: Efficacy and implementation of exercise-based smoking cessation treatment for adults with high anxiety sensitivity
Funded at University of Texas at Austin · NIH-10880577 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how doing high-intensity exercise can help adults who feel very anxious and want to quit smoking, by improving their mood and reducing anxiety, so they can have a better chance of successfully stopping smoking.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas at Austin NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Austin, United States) |
| Project start | July 3, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $516,606 |
| NIH project number | 5R01CA273221-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-10880577 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are adults over 21 years old who experience high anxiety sensitivity and are seeking help to quit smoking.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who do not have high anxiety sensitivity or who are not interested in using exercise as a method for smoking cessation may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how high-intensity exercise can aid adults with high anxiety sensitivity in quitting smoking. It focuses on the relationship between anxiety, mood disorders, and smoking behavior, aiming to develop a treatment that addresses both smoking cessation and mental health. Participants will engage in exercise programs designed to reduce anxiety sensitivity and improve mood, potentially leading to better smoking cessation outcomes. The study will follow participants over time to assess the effectiveness of this approach.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could provide a new, effective method for helping individuals with high anxiety sensitivity quit smoking and improve their mental health.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown that exercise can be beneficial for mental health and smoking cessation, suggesting that this approach may be effective.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas at Austin
Austin, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smits, Jasper — University of Texas at Austin
- Study coordinator: Smits, Jasper
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Exercise-based quitting aid for adults with high anxiety sensitivity
A program tests whether a structured, high‑intensity exercise plan helps adults with high anxiety sensitivity quit smoking and feel better mentally.
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High‑intensity exercise program to help adults with high anxiety sensitivity quit smoking
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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.
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.