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Smoking cessation research via the internet: a feasibility study
Jacqueline Stoddard1, Kevin Delucchi, Ricardo Muñoz
1Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA.
Journal of Health Communication
|March 15, 2005
Summary
Internet-based smoking cessation interventions can reach many smokers. However, more strategies are needed to keep participants engaged for effective treatment and follow-up.
Area of Science:
- Public Health
- Behavioral Science
- Digital Health
Background:
- Smoking cessation rates have stagnated, necessitating novel, accessible interventions.
- Large-scale evaluations of new treatment methods are crucial for progress.
- Internet-based interventions offer a scalable approach to reach a broad audience.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the feasibility of an Internet-based smoking cessation study.
- To evaluate a brief, self-help educational intervention delivered online.
- To recruit and follow a large cohort of adult smokers.
Main Methods:
- Recruitment of 538 adult smokers via email from a health website and online presence.
- Online questionnaires administered at baseline and 1-month follow-up.
- Assessment of intervention feasibility, participant engagement, and quit attempts.
Main Results:
- High completion rates for baseline questionnaires (90.5%).
- 42.8% of participants completed follow-up; 40% made a quit attempt, 8.3% achieved 7-day abstinence.
- Most participants found the intervention helpful (74.9%) and intended to quit (67.3%).
Conclusions:
- Internet interventions can effectively reach numerous smokers motivated to quit.
- The study demonstrated feasibility but highlighted the need for improved user retention strategies.
- Further research should focus on enhancing engagement for sustained smoking cessation.