title: Design and pilot evaluation of an internet smoking cessation program.
abstract: Relatively little is known about how to use the Internet to promote health behavioral change. This article describes a multiple-contact Internet smoking cessation program with an 8-week web-based course, online tools for self-monitoring of behaviors, and computer-tailored e-mail messages timed to enrollees' quit efforts. In a pilot study in 49 smokers, we found that enrollees returned to the website a median of 2 times and completed an average of 2 of 8 educational modules. In follow-up, respondents (n = 26) rated e-mail and web components of the intervention as equally valuable (5.9 vs. 5.5 of 10, p = 0.44). While site had potentially important effects on smoking behaviors (34% of enrollees either quit smoking or had a 50% reduction in cigarette use), we were not able hold the interest of the majority of enrollees over the intervention period. Problems with the design of the site are discussed.
authors.affiliation: University of California at San Diego and Section on Health Service Research, Veterans Administration San Diego Healthcare System, California 92161, USA. llenert@ucsd.edu
authors.forename: Leslie
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lenert
authors.forename: Ricardo F
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Jackie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Stoddard
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Delucchi
authors.forename: Aditya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bansod
authors.forename: Steven
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Skoczen
authors.forename: Eliseo J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Pérez-Stable
mesh_terms: D003258:Consumer Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D010865:Pilot Projects; D015397:Program Evaluation; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface