The 130th Annual Meeting of APHA

Abstract #37862

Lynne H. G. Swartz, MPH, CHES¹, John Noell¹, and Susan Johnese, MPH². (1) Oregon Center for Applied Science, 1839 Garden Avenue, Eugene, OR 97403, 541-342-7227, lswartz@orcasinc.com, (2) Oregon Center for Applied Science, Inc., 1839 Garden Ave, Eugene, OR 97403

Relapse in smoking cessation attempts remains an intriguing and frustrating problem to smoking interventionists and smokers alike. While defining "relapse" is variable across studies, the fact remains that of those smokers attempting to quit, typically less than 25% will remain abstinent after 3 months. Aside from physiological factors such as level of addiction and withdrawal symptoms, relapse can be predicted by a number of psychological factors that include: knowledge regarding the quitting process and strategies for quitting, motivation to quit, self-efficacy in remaining abstinent, stress or depression, and social support. In this study, we are attempting to address these psychological issues via the creation of a multi-session, Internet-based smoking cessation program that combines features such as carefully timed and tailored messages, telephone counseling from a personal counselor, and on-line chats with other quitters. The intervention is theoretically grounded in Stage of Change, Theory of Reasoned Action and Social Learning Theory. A clinical trial with over 500 smokers is planned for the fall of 2002. This presentation will discuss the theoretical constructs and other practical considerations when creating Internet-based smoking cessation interventions and show excerpts from the program.

Learning Objectives: