title: Effect of a Digital Social Media Campaign on Young Adult Smoking Cessation.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Social media (SM) may extend the reach and impact for smoking cessation among young adult smokers. To-date, little research targeting young adults has been done on the use of SM to promote quitting smoking. We assessed the effect of an innovative multicomponent web-based and SM approach known as Break-it-Off (BIO) on young adult smoking cessation.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study employed a quasi-experimental design with baseline and 3-month follow-up data from 19 to 29-year old smokers exposed to BIO (n = 102 at follow-up) and a comparison group of Smokers' Helpline (SHL) users (n = 136 at follow-up). Logistic regression analysis assessed differences between groups on self-reported 7-day and 30-day point prevalence cessation rates, adjusting for ethnicity, education level, and cigarette use (daily or occasional) at baseline.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The campaign reached 37 325 unique visitors with a total of 44 172 visits. BIO users had significantly higher 7-day and 30-day quit rates compared with users of SHL. At 3-month follow-up, BIO participants (32.4%) were more likely than SHL participants (14%) to have quit smoking for 30 days (odds ratio = 2.95, 95% CI = 1.56 to 5.57, P < .001) and BIO participants (91%) were more likely than SHL participants (79%) to have made a quit attempt (odds ratio = 2.69, 95% CI = 1.03 to 6.99, P = .04).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The reach of the campaign and findings on quitting success indicate that a digital/SM platform can complement the traditional SHL cessation service for young adult smokers seeking help to quit.
authors.affiliation: Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada; Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada; nbbaskerville@uwaterloo.ca.
authors.forename: Neill Bruce
authors.initials: NB
authors.lastname: Baskerville
authors.affiliation: Applied Health Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada; Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada;
authors.forename: Sunday
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Azagba
authors.affiliation: Dalla Lana School of Public Health, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada; CENSE Research + Design, Toronto, ON, Canada;
authors.forename: Cameron
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Norman
authors.affiliation: Smokers' Helpline, Canadian Cancer Society, Toronto, ON, Canada;
authors.forename: Kyle
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: McKeown
authors.affiliation: Propel Centre for Population Health Impact, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada; Statistics and Actuarial Sciences, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, Canada.
authors.forename: K Stephen
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Brown
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D057566:Self Report; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000628:therapy* / Q000639:trends; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods*; D061108:Social Media / Q000639:trends; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult