title: Pilot test of an Internet virtual world chat room for rural teen smokers.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Public Health, San Diego State University, San Diego, California 92123, USA. swoodruf@mail.sdsu.edu
authors.forename: S I
authors.initials: SI
authors.lastname: Woodruff
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: T L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Elliott
mesh_terms: 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