The growing field of mHealth has often dealt with the modification of harmful behaviors, such as smoking, that are associated with medical conditions. Smoking behavior has been targeted by numerous mHealth smoking cessation interventions with the help of a wide range of behavior change support (BCS) techniques. However, the exploitation of the established BCS technique of social comparison by mHealth research on smoking cessation has been limited. Based on up-to-date BCS theory and following a user-centered design, we have developed a novel smartphone application, namely QuitIT!, for smoking behavior modification with the help of social comparison. This paper presents the development of QuitIT! as well as its preliminary evaluation through a small pilot study. The latter has yield encouraging initial results concerning the feasibility and the effectiveness of QuitIT! as an mHealth tool for smoking BCS.
Department of Biostatistics and Epidemiology, Hudson College of Public Health, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences, Oklahoma City, OK, United States.
Background: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), mainly caused by cigarette smoking, is one of the leading causes of death in the United States (US) and frequent asthma attacks are often exacerbated by cigarette use. Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are often used to quit cigarette smoking. Prevalence of COPD, asthma, cigarette use, and e-cigarette use differs between racial/ethnic groups.
Background: Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) accounts for 3% of all malignant tumors in Italy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors combined with chemotherapy is first-line treatment for SCCHN; however, second-line treatment options are limited. Taxanes are widely used for combination therapy of SCCHN, as clinical trials have shown their efficacy in patients with this disease, particularly in patients with prior therapy.
Background: Several epidemiological studies have shown that allergic rhinitis (AR) patients are more susceptible to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Objective: We aim to investigate the risk factors for COVID-19 in AR patients.
Methods: A retrospective nationwide cohort study was conducted based on a questionnaire survey in China.
Aim: Tracheotomy has become more prevalent in clinical settings, and effectively managing postoperative complications plays a crucial role in determining patient outcomes. However, there is a scarcity of clinical research focusing on the development of intratracheal granuloma after tracheotomy, and there is insufficient theoretical support for early detection in clinical settings. This study investigates the relationship between clinical factors and the occurrence and location of intratracheal granuloma.
Background: Accumulating evidence have demonstrated that tobacco smoke exposure (TSE) causes damage to human mental issues. However, previous studies almost focus on the individual smoking exposure patterns and some inconsistent results are reported. Serum cotinine is a reliable and quantitative biomarker of TSE.
