Pilot test of an Internet virtual world chat room for rural teen smokers.
This pilot study evaluated the acceptability and efficacy of an Internet-based virtual reality "world" for teen smoking cessation. Rural teens at six school sites interacted in real-time in the virtual world with a trained cessation counselor and other teen smokers over a 2-month period in seven 1-hour chat sessions. The cessation counselor used motivational interviewing, a "client-centered" nonconfrontational approach to behavior change that has shown promise with behaviors resistant to change. Smoking behavior and attitudes were assessed at baseline, after intervention, and at 1-month follow-up. Significant changes were found in quitting, amount smoked, and intentions to quit. Positive trends were seen in past-week abstinence rates, quit attempts, and attitudes toward quitting.
Woodruff
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Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92123, USA. swoodruf@mail.sdsu.edu
Edwards
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Conway
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Elliott
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D000293:Adolescent; D001294:Attitude to Health; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012424:Rural Population; D012907:Smoking / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000523:psychology; D013997:Time Factors; D014584:User-Computer Interface