Overview: Smoking remains one of the most pressing public health challenges today, with young adults facing heightened risks of initiation and long-term addiction. In an era where digital engagement dominates, there’s an opportunity to intervene smarter, earlier, and more effectively. Enter Quit4Health—a mobile-based intervention developed as part of a research initiative at Houston Community College (HCC). Grounded in evidence-based principles and enhanced with tailored messaging and game mechanics, Quit4Health aims to transform the way smokers and non-smokers approach tobacco use prevention and cessation.

Challenge:

Young adults at community colleges often lack access to effective, engaging, and culturally relevant smoking cessation and prevention resources. Traditional programs struggle with engagement, retention, and relevance. The challenge was clear:

  • How do we create a smoking cessation and prevention solution that resonates with diverse, tech-savvy, and at-risk populations?
  • How can we address both cessation among current smokers and prevention among non-smokers in one unified intervention?
  • And how can we ensure sustained engagement over time to achieve lasting outcomes?

Solution:

Radiant Digital developed and launched Quit4Health, an app that tracks your progress, learns from your quit attempts, and tailors strategies to help you succeed. Built on the Stages of Change model, it meets users where they are in their journey, providing guidance that evolves with them. Whether you’re quitting for the first time or the fifteenth, Quit4Health helps you stay on track.

The user is periodically encouraged to engage with the app through device notifications. A daily check-in evaluates the participant’s mood, cravings, stress levels, confidence in quitting, and whether they’ve smoked—helping determine their current quit stage. At each stage, users are assigned a set of activities aligned with their status. After completing these, a questionnaire evaluates if they’re ready to progress, stay in the current stage, or return to an earlier one.

Technologies Used:

The app leverages:

  • A responsive iOS interface designed for intuitive daily use
  • A user profile system that tracks stage of change and customizes content accordingly
  • Secure server infrastructure hosted by MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC)
  • Game mechanics to enhance user motivation and engagement
  • Survey and log data integration to track and monitor user behaviors anonymously

All data is securely stored in password-protected folders on MDACC servers and accessible only to the research team. Surveys and cotinine test kits are used for biochemical verification of abstinence, ensuring robust data collection and analysis.

Conclusion:

Quit4Health represents a pioneering approach to tobacco cessation and prevention, merging behavioral science with mobile technology. Its user-centric design, rigorous testing, and scalable model make it a compelling solution for community college students and beyond. By addressing the needs of both smokers and non-smokers, Q4H offers a comprehensive strategy that holds promise not just for quitting, but for preventing the habit from taking hold in the first place.

With strong preliminary data and a robust evaluation plan, Quit4Health is poised to reshape how we support individuals on their journey to a smoke-free life—smarter, stronger, and more sustainably than ever before.