Augmented reality as a novel approach for addiction treatment: development of a smoking cessation app

Figures & data

Figure 1. Summary of previous findings. (a). Median of each participant’s mean urge ratings in response to smoking and neutral cues presented via AR and in vivo (adapted from Brandon et al. 2020). (b) Mean urge ratings at pretest and posttest of AR cigarette cues for Extinction vs Control conditions, demonstrating extinction at posttest (adapted from Yang et al. 2022). AR: Augmented Reality.

Figure 2. Overview of the AR app. (a) Placement of AR cue within the AR app. (b) Sample AR trial from a participant’s view. (c) Seven AR cues within the AR app. AR: Augmented Reality.

Figure 3. CONSORT diagram. CPD: Ciagarettes Per Day; AR: Augemented reality.

Table 1. Sample Characteristics at Baseline. (N = 23).

Variable	Mean (SD) or n (%)
Age	43.43 (11.07)
Biological Sex: Female	18 (78.26%)
Sexual Orientation: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual	2 (8.70%)
Ethnicity: Hispanic/Latinx	3 (13.04%)
Race
White	17 (73.91%)
Black/African American	4 (17.39%)
Other	2 (8.70%)
Marital Status
Single	14 (60.87%)
Married/Living with significant other	3 (13.04%)
Other	6 (26.09%)
Education
GED	3 (13.04%)
High school diploma	2 (8.70%)
Some college	9 (39.13%)
Tech School/Associate/Undergraduate degree	8 (34.78%)
Some graduate school	1 (4.35%)
Annual Household Income: < $30,000	11 (47.83%)
Smoking Characteristics
Cigarettes Per Day in past month	14.91 (6.57)
FTCD	5.00 (2.02)
Plan to quit smoking within 30 days (Yes)	21 (91.30%)
Another member in household is a smoker (Yes)	8 (34.78%)
Previous Experience with AR
Ever used
No	9 (39.13%)
Yes	11 (47.83%)
Don’t know	3 (13.04%)
Frequency of AR app use
Daily	2 (8.70%)
1-6 days/week	3 (13.05%)
Less than weekly	8 (34.78%)
Never/Don’t know	10 (43.48%)
Interest in Using AR App (10-point scale)	9.48 (1.04)

FTCD: Fagerström Test for Cigarette Dependence.

Table 2. Usability and acceptability measures (N = 23).

Usability & Acceptability Variable	M (SD) or n (%)
Frequency of App Use
Number of days^a the app was used	5.78 (1.62)
Number of sessions on days the app was used	3.81 (1.46)
Number of AR cues viewed on days the app was used	22.89 (8.58)
Reality/Co-Existence of AR Cues (10-point scale)
Realism	7.91 (1.88)
Environmental Coexistence	7.96 (2.31)
User Coexistence	8.04 (2.12)
System Usability Scale (0-100 scale)	79.46 (17.14)
Ease of Using App (5-point scale)
Perceived ease at beginning	3.83 (1.40)
Perceived ease at end	4.13 (1.32)
Overall perceived ease at follow-up survey (Agree)	20 (86.95%)
Ease of Learning the App
Number of days for learning to use the app	1.91 (1.59)
Contacted staff for additional help (Yes)	4 (17.39%)
Satisfaction
Would recommend the app (Yes)	15 (65.22%)
Overall satisfaction with the app (Mostly/Very)	16 (69.57%)
Appeal of the App for Quitting (Yes)	11 (47.82%)

^aIndicates the total number of discrete days the app was used.

Table 3. Smoking-related variables at baseline and follow-up survey (N = 23).

Variable	Baseline	Follow-Up
Motivation to Quit (M, SD)
The Contemplation Ladder^a	7.40 (1.76)	6.19 (2.29)
ARME	50.39 (9.69)	51.96 (8.35)
Self-Efficacy Scale – Smoking (M, SD)	22.04 (4.19)	22.87 (7.12)
Strength of Urge to Smoke^b (n, %)**
None/Slight	1 (4.35%)	1 (4.35%)
Moderate/Strong	9 (39.13%)	18 (78.26%)
Very/Extremely Strong	13 (56.52%)	4 (17.39%)
Cigarettes Per Day in past week (M, SD)**	14.91 (6.57)	13.17 (6.63)

** p<.01.

^aData from 15 participants at baseline and from 16 participants at follow-up.

^bPast month at baseline and past week at follow-up.

ARME = 10-item Abstinence-Related Motivational Engagement Scale.

Data availability statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author, CV, upon reasonable request.