title: Demographic, psychological and smoking characteristics of users of an on-line smoking cessation programme in the Spanish language.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the characteristics of users of a smoking cessation programme run by the Open University of Spain (Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia [UNED]).
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined the demographic, psychological and smoking characteristics of 23,763 smokers who participated in the on-line smoking cessation program of the UNED. The programme was open to any smoker, free of charge, and was fully automated and with direct access.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 93.5% of the users were Spaniards, with an equal percentage of participation among men and women. The mean age was 39 years. Somewhat less than half were married and had a university education. The participants smoked a mean of 19.3 cigarettes per day, showing a mid-range level of nicotine dependence according to the Heaviness of Smoking Index. The results of the Anxiety and Depression subscales of the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R) and Perceived Stress Scale were not clinically significant. In a secondary analysis of the data, we found gender differences in all the variables measured.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this study confirm the digital divide, with lower participation among people with a lower educational level. No association was observed between stress, anxiety or depression and cigarette consumption.
authors: Faculty of Psychology, National Distance Education University (UNED), Madrid, Spain.
authors: Guillermo
authors: G
authors: Mañanes
authors: Faculty of Psychology, National Distance Education University (UNED), Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: mvallejo@psi.uned.es.
authors: Miguel A
authors: MA
authors: Vallejo
authors: Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), Campus of Somosaguas, Madrid, Spain.
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Vallejo-Slocker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000453:epidemiology; D003863:Depression / Q000453:epidemiology; D004522:Educational Status; D005260:Female; D006293:Health Promotion / Q000458:organization & administration; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000523:psychology*; D016540:Smoking Cessation / Q000379:methods* / Q000523:psychology; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013030:Spain / Q000453:epidemiology; D062789:Tobacco Products / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014495:Universities
keywords: Abandono del tabaco; Dejar de fumar; Internet; Smoking cessation; Tobacco cessation