Comparison of a Daily Smartphone App and Retrospective Questionnaire Measures of Adherence to Nicotine Replacement Therapy within Pregnant Women (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanne Emery ◽  
Yue Huang ◽  
Felix Naughton ◽  
Sue Cooper ◽  
Lisa McDaid ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Nicotine Replacement Therapy ◽  
Face Validity ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Nicotine Replacement ◽  
Saliva Cotinine ◽  
Reporting Rates ◽  
Retrospective Questionnaire ◽  
Collection Methods

BACKGROUND Few studies have investigated how to best measure adherence to smoking cessation medications, but continuous usage measures are recommended. OBJECTIVE In this first study of its kind, we compared methods for measuring adherence to nicotine replacement therapy (NRT), investigating the completeness and validity of data collected from daily assessments using a smartphone app versus data collected from retrospective questionnaires. METHODS Women aged ≥16, who were daily smokers <25 weeks pregnant, were offered cessation counselling and encouraged to use NRT. Women set quit dates (QD) and, for 28 days afterwards, were asked to report NRT use daily to a smartphone app and to questionnaires administered in-person or remotely at 7 and 28 days. For both data collection methods, we provided up to £25 in compensation for time taken providing research data. Data completeness and NRT use reported to app and questionnaires were compared. For each method, we also correlated mean daily nicotine doses reported within 7 days of QD with Day 7 saliva cotinine concentrations. RESULTS Of 438 women assessed for eligibility, 40 participated and 35 accepted NRT. More participants (31/35) submitted NRT usage data to the app by Day 28 (median days submitted=25 [IQR 11]) than completed the Day 28 questionnaire (24/35). Data submitted to the app showed a lower reported duration of NRT use compared to the questionnaire (median days NRT for app=24 [IQR 10.25]; questionnaire=28 [4.75], P=.007), and there appeared to be specific cases of overreporting to the questionnaire. Mean daily nicotine doses (mg) between QD and Day 7 were lower when calculated using app data (median mg for app=40 [52.1]; questionnaire=40 [63.1], P=.001), and some large outliers were evident for the questionnaire. Mean daily nicotine doses, adjusted for cigarettes smoked, were not associated with cotinine concentrations for either method (app r=0.184, P=.55; questionnaire r=0.031, P=.92). CONCLUSIONS Daily assessment of NRT use via a smartphone app facilitated more complete data (a higher response rate) than questionnaires, and reporting rates over 28 days were encouraging among pregnant women. Although data from neither method was significantly associated with cotinine concentrations, app data had better face validity; retrospective questionnaires appeared to overestimate NRT use for some.

scholarly journals Exposure to Tobacco, Environmental Tobacco Smoke and Nicotine in Pregnancy: A Pragmatic Overview of Reviews of Maternal and Child Outcomes, Effectiveness of Interventions and Barriers and Facilitators to Quitting

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 2034 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gillian S. Gould ◽  
Alys Havard ◽  
Ling Li Lim ◽  
Ratika Kumar ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Smoking Cessation ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Nicotine Replacement Therapy ◽  
Systematic Reviews ◽  
Nicotine Replacement ◽  
Increased Risk ◽  
Pertinent Data ◽  
In Pregnancy

The aim of this review of reviews was to collate the latest evidence from systematic reviews about the maternal and child health outcomes of being exposed to tobacco and nicotine during pregnancy; the effectiveness of interventions designed to reduce these exposures, and barriers to and facilitators of smoking cessation during pregnancy. Two databases were searched to obtain systematic reviews published from 2010 to 2019. Pertinent data from 76 articles were summarized using a narrative synthesis (PROSPERO reference: CRD42018085896). Exposure to smoke or tobacco in other forms during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of obstetric complications and adverse health outcomes for children exposed in-utero. Counselling interventions are modestly effective, while incentive-based interventions appear to substantially increase smoking cessation. Nicotine replacement therapy is effective during pregnancy but the evidence is not conclusive. Predictors and barriers to smoking cessation in pregnancy are also discussed. Smoking during pregnancy poses substantial risk to mother’s and child’s health. Psychosocial interventions and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) appear to be effective in helping pregnant women quit smoking. Barriers to smoking cessation must be identified and steps taken to eradicate them in order to reduce smoking among pregnant women. More research is needed on smoking cessation medications and e-cigarettes.

scholarly journals Pragmatic randomised trial of a smartphone app (NRT2Quit) to improve effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy in a quit attempt by improving medication adherence - results of a prematurely terminated study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Herbec ◽  
Jamie Brown ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Robert West ◽  
Tobias Raupach
Keyword(s):  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Nicotine Replacement Therapy ◽  
Bayes Factor ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Nicotine Replacement

Abstract Background: Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) bought over the counter (OTC) appears to be largely ineffective for smoking cessation, which may be partially explained by poor adherence. We developed and evaluated the NRT2Quit smartphone app (for iOS) designed to improve quit attempts with OTC NRT by improving adherence to the medications. Methods: A pragmatic double-blind randomized controlled trial with remote recruitment through leaflets distributed to over 300 UK-based community pharmacies. The study recruited adult daily smokers (≥10 cig/day) who bought NRT, wanted to quit smoking, downloaded NTR2Quit and completed the registration process within the app. Participants were automatically randomized within the app to the intervention (full) version of NRT2Quit or to its control (minimal) versions. The primary outcome was biochemically-verified 4-week abstinence assessed at 8-week follow-up using Russell Standard criteria and intention-to-treat. Bayes factors were calculated for the cessation outcome. Secondary outcomes were self-reported abstinence, NRT use, app use and satisfaction with the app. Results: The study under-recruited with only 41 participants (3.5% of the target sample) randomly assigned to NRT2Quit (n=16) or the control (n=25) app versions between March 2015-September 2016. The follow-up rate was 51.2%. The intervention participants had numerically higher biochemically-verified quit rates (25.0% vs 8.0%, p=0.19, OR=3.83,0.61-24.02). The Bayes factor calculated was 1.92 showed the data were insensitive to test for the hypothesis that the intervention app version aided cessation. The intervention participants had higher median logins (2.5 vs. 0, p=0.01), were more likely to use NRT at follow-up (100.0% vs. 28.6%, p=0.03) and recommend NRT2Quit to others (100.0% vs. 28.6%, p=0.01). Conclusions: Despite very low recruitment there was preliminary but inconclusive evidence that NRT2Quit may improve short-term abstinence and adherence among smokers using nicotine replacement therapy. Well-powered studies on NRT2Quit are needed, but different recruitment methods will be required to engage smokers through community pharmacies or other channels.

scholarly journals Pragmatic randomised trial of a smartphone app (NRT2Quit) to improve effectiveness of nicotine replacement therapy in a quit attempt by improving medication adherence - results of a prematurely terminated study

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Herbec ◽  
Jamie Brown ◽  
Lion Shahab ◽  
Robert West ◽  
Tobias Raupach
Keyword(s):  
Replacement Therapy ◽  
Nicotine Replacement Therapy ◽  
Bayes Factor ◽  
Controlled Trial ◽  
Randomised Trial ◽  
Smartphone App ◽  
Community Pharmacies ◽  
Double Blind ◽  
Nicotine Replacement

Abstract Background Nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) bought over the counter (OTC) appears to be largely ineffective for smoking cessation, which may be partially explained by poor adherence. We developed and evaluated the NRT2Quit smartphone app (for iOS) designed to improve quit attempts with OTC NRT by improving adherence to the medications. Methods A pragmatic double-blind randomized controlled trial with remote recruitment through leaflets distributed to over 300 UK-based community pharmacies. The study recruited adult daily smokers (≥10 cig/day) who bought NRT, wanted to quit smoking, downloaded NTR2Quit and completed the registration process within the app. Participants were automatically randomized within the app to the intervention (full) version of NRT2Quit or to its control (minimal) versions. The primary outcome was biochemically-verified 4-week abstinence assessed at 8-week follow-up using Russell Standard criteria and intention-to-treat. Bayes factors were calculated for the cessation outcome. Secondary outcomes were self-reported abstinence, NRT use, app use and satisfaction with the app. Results The study under-recruited with only 41 participants (3.5% of the target sample) randomly assigned to NRT2Quit (n=16) or the control (n=25) app versions between March 2015-September 2016. The follow-up rate was 51.2%. The intervention participants had numerically higher biochemically-verified quit rates (25.0% vs 8.0%, p=0.19, OR=3.83,0.61-24.02). The Bayes factor calculated was 1.92, suggesting anecdotal level of support for the hypothesis that the intervention app version aided cessation, but showed the data were insensitive. The intervention participants had higher median logins (2.5 vs. 0, p=0.01), were more likely to use NRT at follow-up (100.0% vs. 28.6%, p=0.03) and recommend NRT2Quit to others (100.0% vs. 28.6%, p=0.01). Conclusions Despite very low recruitment there was preliminary but inconclusive evidence that NRT2Quit may improve short-term abstinence and adherence among smokers using nicotine replacement therapy. Well-powered studies on NRT2Quit are needed, but different recruitment methods will be required to engage smokers through community pharmacies or other channels.

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