Randomized clinical trial of an Internet-based versus brief office intervention for adolescent smoking cessation.
OBJECTIVE
Evaluation of novel treatment delivery methods, such as the Internet are notably absent from the adolescent smoking treatment literature.


METHODS
Adolescent smokers ages 11-18 years were randomized to a clinic-based, brief office intervention (BOI; N=69) consisting of four individual counseling sessions; or to Stomp Out Smokes (SOS), an Internet, home-based intervention (N=70). Adolescents in SOS had access to the SOS site for 24 weeks.


RESULTS
The 30-day, point-prevalence smoking abstinence rates for BOI and SOS were 12% versus 6% at week 24 and 13% versus 6% at week 36, with no significant treatment differences. Among participants who continued to smoke, SOS was associated with a significantly greater reduction in average number of days smoked than BOI (P=0.006). The BOI was found to be feasible with high session attendance rates. SOS participants accessed the site a mean+/-S.D. of 6.8+/-7.1 days. SOS use dropped to less than one-third of participants by week 3.


CONCLUSIONS
Additional research is needed to tap the potential capabilities of the Internet for adolescent smoking cessation using proactive, personalized, patient-education components.


CONCLUSIONS
Augmenting the SOS type of intervention with more structured, personal and proactive patient-education components delivered in-person or by telephone or electronic mail is recommended.
Patten
Christi A
CA
Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry & Psychology, Rochester, MN 55905, USA. patten.christi@mayo.edu
Croghan
Ivana T
IT
Meis
Tracy M
TM
Decker
Paul A
PA
Pingree
Suzanne
S
Colligan
Robert C
RC
Dornelas
Ellen A
EA
Offord
Kenneth P
KP
Boberg
Eric W
EW
Baumberger
Rhonda K
RK
Hurt
Richard D
RD
Gustafson
David H
DH
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D003197:Computer Literacy; D003194:Computer-Assisted Instruction / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D003237:Connecticut / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet / Q000458:organization & administration*; D008297:Male; D008910:Minnesota / Q000453:epidemiology; D017145:Models, Educational; D009819:Office Visits; D010349:Patient Compliance / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010353:Patient Education as Topic / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015995:Prevalence; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D000074606:Smoking Prevention; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014922:Wisconsin / Q000453:epidemiology