Kochhar, Suhaavi

Smoking youth (16-25 years) are at a greater risk of developing addiction. Yet, evidence-based interventions targeting their needs are scarce. We aim to develop and test a smartphone game that youth can play in moments of craving. Players would experience an endless runner game that models go/no-go training in a peer influence context. The game development process entails rounds of iteration and feedback on game design from the target group themselves. Once we have the stand-alone version of HitnRun, we will conduct a randomized controlled trial to test the game's efficacy. Finally, we will assess individual factors, such as craving and dose of game play, as predictors of intervention success. We hope that the project results in one of the first evidence-based interventions for smoking youth.