Avoid Smoking: mHealth Evidence and Theory-Based Intervention to Promote Smoking Prevention Behaviors

Background: Mobile technologies and devices effectively maintain health and well-being is a promising opportunity for health policymakers and relevant stakeholders. Objectives: The current study aimed to evaluate a mhealth program to promote smoking prevention behaviors among university students in northern Iraq. The integrative model of factors influencing smoking behavior (IMFISB) was used as a theoretical framework. Methods: This quasi-experimental research study was conducted on 150 Kurdish students of Raparin University in northern Iraq. University students were randomly divided into intervention (n = 75) or control (n = 75) groups. The mhealth theory-based intervention program was evaluated using the mobile application (Avoid Smoking) in eight sessions. The data was collected using a questionnaire before and two months after the program’s implementation and analyzed in SPSS software version 16. Results: The effect size was estimated as "small" for belief, value, and family pressure. The effect size was estimated as “medium" for knowledge, attitude, peer pressure, self-image, and intention. The average response for smoking prevention behaviors was 15.17, which significantly increased to 16.88 after program implementation among the intervention group (P < 0.001), and the effect size was estimated to be "medium" for smoking prevention behaviors. Conclusions: Based on the results, smoking prevention interventions can be effective among students using mobile health evidence-based interventions.