A novel experience-based internet intervention for smoking cessation: feasibility randomised controlled trial

John Powell, Nikki Newhouse, Angela Martin, Sena Jawad, Ly-Mee Yu, Mina Davoudianfar, Louise Locock, Sue Ziebland

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

6 Citations (Scopus)
8 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The internet is frequently used to share experiences of health and illness, but this phenomenon has not been harnessed as an intervention to achieve health behaviour change. The aim of this study was to determine the feasibility of a randomised trial assessing the effects of a novel, experience-based website as a smoking cessation intervention. The secondary aim was to measure the potential impact on smoking behaviour of both the intervention and a comparator website. METHODS: A feasibility randomised controlled single-blind trial assessed a novel, experience-based website containing personal accounts of quitting smoking as a cessation intervention, and a comparator website providing factual information. Feasibility measures including recruitment, and usage of the interventions were recorded, and the following participant-reported outcomes were also measured: Smoking Abstinence Self-Efficacy Questionnaire, the single-item Motivation to Stop Scale, self-reported abstinence, quit attempts and health status outcomes. Eligible smokers from two English regions were entered into the trial and given access to their allocated website for two weeks. RESULTS: Eighty-seven smokers were randomised, 65 completed follow-up (75 . Median usage was 15 min for the intervention, and 5 min for the comparator (range 0.5-213 min). Median logins for both sites was 2 (range 1-20). All participant-reported outcomes were similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS: It was technically feasible to deliver a novel intervention harnessing the online sharing of personal experiences as a tool for smoking cessation, but recruitment was slow and actual use was relatively low, with attrition from the trial. Future work needs to maximize engagement and to understand how best to assess the value of such interventions in everyday use, rather than as an isolated 'dose of information'. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN29549695 DOI 10.1186/ISRCTN29549695 . Registered 17/05/2013.
Original languageEnglish
Article number1156
JournalBMC Public Health
Volume16
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 11 Nov 2016

Bibliographical note

The iPEx programme presents independent research funded by the UK
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) under its Programme Grants for
Applied Research funding scheme (RP-PG-0608-10147). The views expressed
in this paper are those of the authors, representing iPEx, and not necessarily
those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health.

Keywords

  • smoking cessation
  • internet intervention
  • randomised controlled trial

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'A novel experience-based internet intervention for smoking cessation: feasibility randomised controlled trial'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this