What does this research mean for the field?

Mobile health interventions offer potential benefits for smoking cessation, but their overall effectiveness is highly heterogeneous and depends on complex interactions between user characteristics, engagement patterns, and intervention design. Novelty: ClaimNovelty.SYNTHESIS. Consensus alignment: ConsensusAlignment.NEUTRAL.

What question did this study set out to answer?

This literature review synthesizes evidence on the effectiveness of mobile health interventions for smoking cessation, focusing on clinical outcomes and user engagement.

June 19, 2026Open Access

Mobile Health Interventions for Smoking Cessation: A Literature Review of Effectiveness and Behavior Change

MBMateusz BalickiMedical University of Warsaw MKMarta KrężołekMedical University of Warsaw JDJulia DobrowolskaMedical University of Warsaw

Key Points

This literature review synthesizes evidence on the effectiveness of mobile health interventions for smoking cessation, focusing on clinical outcomes and user engagement.
Literature search conducted on PubMed and Google Scholar to identify peer-reviewed studies.
27 studies included, comprising randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews.
Thematic synthesis was applied to analyze findings.
mHealth interventions associated with higher abstinence rates compared to control conditions, with quit rates from 9% to 30%.
Increased user engagement often linked to better adherence and cessation outcomes, though not universally observed.
Behavioral components like cognitive behavioral therapy show variable effectiveness, impacting overall success rates.

Abstract

Mobile health (mHealth) interventions, including smartphone applications and SMS-based programs, have emerged as widely used tools for smoking cessation 12,27; however, their clinical effectiveness remains inconsistent across studies 1,5,8. This narrative literature review aimed to synthesize current evidence on the effectiveness of mHealth interventions for smoking cessation, with particular emphasis on clinical outcomes, user engagement, and underlying behavioral mechanisms. A literature search of PubMed and Google Scholar was conducted to identify peer-reviewed studies evaluating mobile or app-based cessation interventions. A total of 27 studies, including randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and systematic reviews, were included and analyzed using thematic synthesis. The findings indicate that mHealth interventions are often associated with higher abstinence rates compared to control conditions 3,19, with reported quit rates ranging from 9% to 30% 3,19, although results are heterogeneous and not consistently significant 1,5,8. Increased user engagement is frequently linked to improved adherence and, in some cases, better cessation outcomes 2,25; however, this relationship is not uniformly observed 2,8. Behavioral components, such as cognitive behavioral therapy and coping strategies, are commonly integrated but demonstrate variable effectiveness 3,14,15. Similarly, app features, user experience, and population-specific adaptations contribute to engagement but show inconsistent associations with clinical outcomes 1,5,21. Overall, the evidence suggests that mHealth interventions offer potential benefits for smoking cessation, yet their effectiveness appears to depend on the interaction between user characteristics, engagement patterns, and intervention design rather than any single component. These findings highlight the need for more standardized and methodologically robust research to clarify the determinants of success and bridge the efficacy-effectiveness gap in digital smoking cessation.

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