141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

285815
More than smokefree: Healthy lifestyle and weight management on women.smokefree.gov

Tuesday, November 5, 2013 : 11:15 AM - 11:30 AM

Allison Rose, MHS , Clinical Research Directorate/CMRP, SAIC-Frederick, Inc., Frederick, MD
Heather Patrick, PhD , Health Behaviors Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
Samantha Post, MPH , MMG, Inc., Rockville, MD
Shani Taylor, MHS , MMG, Inc., Rockville, MD
Erik Augustson, PhD, MPH , Tobacco Control Research Branch, Behavioral Research Program, Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD
Background: Women smokers face unique barriers to smoking cessation and may experience greater difficulty quitting than men. Developed by the National Cancer Institute, Women.smokefree.gov (SfW) was launched in 2009 to provide women with a gender-responsive, evidence-based resource for smoking cessation. Website content is accessible in online and mobile platforms and promoted via social media tools. Based on social media analysis, SfW was expanded in 2012 to address women's broader health interests including lifestyle behaviors and weight management.

Purpose: To evaluate user-reach and engagement of the enhanced SfW content focusing on healthier lifestyles (physical activity, nutrition, sleep, stress management, social support) and weight management.

Methods: Analysis of changes in user reach and engagement is based on quantitative metrics and qualitative data collected prior to and following a two-week promotional campaign focused on the enhanced SfW content.

Results: Following the initial soft launch of the enhanced SfW content in September 2012, website activity increased nearly 22% from 13,928 (August) to 16,941 unique visitors (September), with a steady increase in visits to the lifestyle and weight management sections. An active promotional campaign is scheduled for May 2013. Data on changes in total visits and unique visitors following the promotional campaign will be presented, along with qualitative data on user engagement.

Conclusions: Women face unique barriers to smoking cessation that may be addressed by adopting a whole-person approach to smoking cessation resources that focus on other lifestyle factors that may impede cessation success. The enhanced SfW content reflects a promising step-forward in this effort.

Learning Areas:
Chronic disease management and prevention
Communication and informatics
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Implementation of health education strategies, interventions and programs
Planning of health education strategies, interventions, and programs

Learning Objectives:
Discuss the background and rationale for the newly enhanced Women.smokefree.gov (SfW) website focusing on healthier lifestyles and weight management within the context of smoking cessation. Evaluate the impact of a 2-week promotional campaign designed to increase user-reach and engagement in the enhanced SfW content.

Keywords: Smoking Cessation, Women

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: I am a project co-lead on the Healthier Lifestyles and Weight Management content of the women.smokefree.gov website, and I have research and practice expertise on the topics of women and smoking and other related health behavior/lifestyle risk factors. My scientific interests include development, implementation, and evaluation of integrated interventions to address co-morbid health behaviors among women from a whole-person perspective.
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.