Measuring participant rurality in Web-based interventions.
BACKGROUND
Web-based health behavior change programs can reach large groups of disparate participants and thus they provide promise of becoming important public health tools. Data on participant rurality can complement other demographic measures to deepen our understanding of the success of these programs. Specifically, analysis of participant rurality can inform recruitment and social marketing efforts, and facilitate the targeting and tailoring of program content. Rurality analysis can also help evaluate the effectiveness of interventions across population groupings.


METHODS
We describe how the RUCAs (Rural-Urban Commuting Area Codes) methodology can be used to examine results from two Randomized Controlled Trials of Web-based tobacco cessation programs: the ChewFree.com project for smokeless tobacco cessation and the Smokers' Health Improvement Program (SHIP) project for smoking cessation.


RESULTS
Using RUCAs methodology helped to highlight the extent to which both Web-based interventions reached a substantial percentage of rural participants. The ChewFree program was found to have more rural participation which is consistent with the greater prevalence of smokeless tobacco use in rural settings as well as ChewFree's multifaceted recruitment program that specifically targeted rural settings.


CONCLUSIONS
Researchers of Web-based health behavior change programs targeted to the US should routinely include RUCAs as a part of analyzing participant demographics. Researchers in other countries should examine rurality indices germane to their country.
Danaher
Brian G
BG
Oregon Research Institute, 1715 Franklin Boulevard, Eugene, OR 97403 USA. briand@ori.org
Hart
L Gary
LG
McKay
H Garth
HG
Severson
Herbert H
HH
D040343:Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System; D019352:Censuses; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D018579:Patient Selection; D011177:Postal Service; D019035:Rural Health Services / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D012424:Rural Population / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D040241:Social Marketing; D020340:Tobacco Use Cessation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014029:Tobacco Use Disorder / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014030:Tobacco, Smokeless; D014481:United States