Smartwatch app can help quit smoking - researchers
Kyiv • UNN
British researchers have created a smartwatch app that recognizes hand movements while smoking and sends motivational messages. Testing on 18 volunteers showed positive results - 66% approved the use of the device.
Researchers at the University of Bristol have developed new software using motion sensors that can recognize characteristic hand movements while holding a cigarette. This was reported by The Guardianand UNN.
Details
When the system detects smoking, a notification appears on the watch screen. The device also vibrates and sends a motivational message created by smokers and ex-smokers to support the user.
For example, among the texts are: "Quitting smoking is an opportunity to breathe freely. Take this step".
Other notifications include a count of the number of cigarettes smoked and puffs per day.
The developers claim that this is the world's first "point" technology to prevent smoking relapse, which works entirely on a smartwatch and does not require synchronization with a smartphone.
How the system works
According to Chris Stone from the University of Bristol's Tobacco and Alcohol Research Group, the app is aimed at supporting people at the most vulnerable moment - during the first breakdown, when the risk of returning to smoking is particularly high.
"People like the idea that the watch sends a message at the exact moment they smoke. This not only records the fact that they are smoking, but also provides immediate support, increasing the chances of a successful quit attempt," explains Stone.
The program was tested among 18 volunteers aged 18 to 70 who smoked more than 10 cigarettes a day.
They wore a smartwatch with the app for two weeks. The results showed that 66% of the participants positively evaluated the use of the watch, and 61% noted the relevance of the notifications.
Among the benefits, users highlighted increased awareness of smoking, motivation to change, reduction in the number of cigarettes, and ongoing support. However, there were also criticisms: repetitive messages, insufficient speed of their appearance, and limited variety of texts.
Further research
The next stage will be a longer testing of the program with an extended set of messages.
Alize Frogel, Prevention Manager at Cancer Research UK, emphasized that smartwatches can be a useful tool for smoking cessation, but more research is needed to assess their effectiveness.
She also added that the best results in the fight against smoking come from contacting a free local support service.
Previously
UNN wrote that smoking one cigarette reduces a smoker's life expectancy by about 20 minutes on average: 17 minutes for men and 22 minutes for women.
