User acceptance of cell phone support for smoking cessation: a UK - Canada comparative empirical investigation

This paper presents a theoretical model of user reasons to adopt or resist the use of cell phones as a support tool in smoking cessation interventions and its empirical testing in two country settings with significantly different mobile phone penetration rate: the UK and Canada. A model comprising both factors favourable to adoption and resistance factors was constructed and tested simultaneously with 170 participants recruited across the UK and 252 participants recruited across Canada. Results show the model having motivation as favourable factor and perceived risk of using cell phones as a resistance factor was appropriate in explaining smokers’ intentions to use these devices as a support for smoking cessation if they decided to quit smoking. Although differences in perceptions between participants in UK and Canada were noticed, these were not statistically significant.