An Interdisciplinary Evidence Matrix QUITSART Mobile Applications

Running Head: QUITSART MOBILE APPLICATIONS: AN INTERDISCIPLINARY EVIDENCE MATRIX

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QUITSART MOBILE APPLICATIONS

This paper seeks to identify and explore available literature of relevance to a project that concerns itself with the development and deployment of a smoking cessation mobile app. In so doing, it highlights the search strategy that will condense what is presently known about the issue of teenage smoking and the various solutions that have been explored in the past in an attempt to reign in the concern. It also presents a matrix table comprising of a total of 5 articles that will inform the proposal’s background section.

Description of Search Criteria

Key Words

Teenage smoking happens to be rather widespread. Further, the negative impact of smoking addiction among the youth is significant. It is important to note that to develop the most viable solutions to this particular problem, it would be prudent to assess the extent of the problem across the nation and its impact amongst our youth. Towards this end, the search terms that were utilized to inform these efforts were inclusive of; teen smoking, smoking impact on teens, teenage smoking addiction, underage smoking, and youth smoking statistics.

Various solutions have been deployed in the past in an attempt to reign in teenage smoking. The effectiveness of the said measures varies widely. Some of the said solutions are inclusive of, but they are not limited to; the promotion of alternative smoking devices (such as e-cigarettes and hookahs), engagement in education forums seeking to highlight to the youth the harms of smoking, drafting of smoke-free laws meant to ensure that teenagers do not pick the habit, development of smoking cessation smartphone applications, etc. To ensure the viability of the solution proposed in the current scenario, it would be prudent to ensure that we investigate previous efforts to reign in smoking addiction among the youth. In that case, the keywords that were taken into consideration were; teen smoking solutions, stopping teen smoking, and reducing teenage smoking.

A Smoking Cessation Mobile App would be a valid approach to help teenagers addicted to cigarette smoking kick the habit. Various such apps have been developed and deployed in recent times. The thinking in this case is that almost every person in the country owns a mobile device. Further, teenagers happen to be rather tech savvy. Embracing a tech-based approach to smoking cessation, thus, appears to be a valid approach towards saving our youths from cigarette addiction. It is important to note that each such app has its strengths and weaknesses. In developing better understanding of the said shortcomings and strengths, one would be able to avoid common pitfalls in the development and deployment of the app, while at the same time including the most viable components to the said app. Further, prior to the deployment of a smoking cessation app, there is need to develop better understanding of the regulatory regime. On this basis, the key terms that were deemed relevant on this front were inclusive of; tech-based smoking cessation, smoking cessation app, mobile app smoking, and smoking addiction app.

Database

For this exercise, the EBSCO host database was selected. This particular database was selected owing to its extensive database of useful and reliable sources in diverse fields. Amongst other resources, EBSCO host lists books, poor-reviewed journals, scholarly papers, etc. Further, the database has a wide range of useful tools and functionalities for a research of this nature. The said tools are inclusive of a search function (which would come in handy in the utilization of the key words/terms highlighted above) and the ability to limit search results to specific materials such as journal articles or books.

The Matrix

Table 1 contains a total of 5 articles that were selected following a search of the keywords indicated elsewhere in this text. Thus, to a large extent, the focus of the said articles happens to be: the extent and nature of teenage smoking; solutions that have been developed in the past to reign in teenage smoking; and the viability of a Smoking Cessation Mobile App to help teenagers kick the addiction.

Central Theme: Teenage Smoking and Viable Efforts to Discourage the Habit