BACKGROUND Tobacco use has shifted in recent years, especially with the introduction of e-cigaret... more BACKGROUND Tobacco use has shifted in recent years, especially with the introduction of e-cigarettes. Despite the now variable and intersecting tobacco product use among tobacco users, most want to quit, which necessitates cessation programming to adapt to these variable trends (versus focusing on combustible cigarettes alone). The use of online modalities for cessation support has become quite popular in recent years, and has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, understanding the current strengths and weaknesses of existing programming to meet the needs of today’s various tobacco users is critical to ensuring the saliency of such programming moving forward. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to understand the strengths and limitations of online cessation support offered through QuitNow to better understand the needs of a variety of end-users who smoke, dual-use, or vape. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 80 tobacco users in British Columbia. Using conventional content analysis methods, we inductively derived descriptive categories and themes related to the strengths and weaknesses of QuitNow. We analyzed the data with the support of Nvivo 12 and Excel. RESULTS Participants described several strengths and limitations of QuitNow, as well as suggestions for improvement, which fell under two broad categories: Look and Feel, and Content and Features. Strengths included the government backing, welcoming vibe, and social and professional support available. Limitations included too much text, the need to create an account, and the lack of tailored behavioral support and user-driven content. In relation to suggestions for improvement, participants stated that the site needed more interaction, intuitive organization, improved interface aesthetics, a complementary smartphone app, forum discussion tags, more information for different tobacco user profiles, and user testimonials. Participants also provided ideas on how to raise awareness of QuitNow, which included social media, print-based materials, outreach, and product-based marketing. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study provide directions for enhancing the saliency of online cessation programming for a variety of tobacco use behaviors that hallmark today’s tobacco use.
BACKGROUND Smoking rates in Canada remain unacceptably high, and cessation rates have stalled in ... more BACKGROUND Smoking rates in Canada remain unacceptably high, and cessation rates have stalled in recent years. Online cessation programs, touted for their ability to reach many different populations anytime, have shown promise in their efficacy. The Government of Canada has therefore funded provincial and national smoking cessation websites countrywide. However, little is known about the behavior change techniques (BCTs) that underpin the content of these websites, which is key to establishing the quality of the websites, as well as a way forward for evaluation. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study, therefore, is to apply the BCTTv1 taxonomy to Canadian provincial and federal websites, and to determine which BCTs they use. METHODS A total of 12 government-funded websites across Canada were included for analysis. Using deductive content analysis and through training in applying the BCTTv1 taxonomy, the website content was coded according to the 93 BCTs across the 16 BCT categories. RESULTS Of the 16 BCT categories, 14 were present within the websites. The most widely represented BCT categories (used in all 12 websites) included goals and planning, social support, natural consequences, and regulation. Implementation of BCTs within these categories varied across the sites. CONCLUSIONS Analyzing the content of online smoking cessation websites using the BCTTv1 taxonomy is an appropriate method for identifying the behavior change content of these programs. The findings offer programmers and researchers tangible directions for prioritizing and enhancing provincial and national smoking cessation programs, and an evaluation framework to assess smoking cessation outcomes in relation to the web-based content.
ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light a variety of key factors that affect tobacco... more ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light a variety of key factors that affect tobacco use, including behavioural patterns, social support and connection, and physical and mental health. What we do not know is how those motivated to quit were impacted by the pandemic. As such, understanding the unique experiences and needs of people motivated to quit smoking or vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical. The aim of this study was to examine the cessation experiences of nicotine users during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignWe conducted a supplementary secondary analysis of primary qualitative data, i.e., semi-structured interviews with individuals engaged in cigarette use (smoking), e-cigarette use (vaping) and dual use.SettingBritish Columbia, Canada.ParticipantsRelevant data were drawn from 33 participants out of the primary study’s 80-participant sample pool.MeasuresInterview questions explored barriers and facilitators to quitting nicotine use. We then used convention...
BACKGROUND Tobacco use has shifted in recent years, especially with the introduction of e-cigaret... more BACKGROUND Tobacco use has shifted in recent years, especially with the introduction of e-cigarettes. Despite the now variable and intersecting tobacco product use among tobacco users, most want to quit, which necessitates cessation programming to adapt to these variable trends (versus focusing on combustible cigarettes alone). The use of online modalities for cessation support has become quite popular in recent years, and has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, understanding the current strengths and weaknesses of existing programming to meet the needs of today’s various tobacco users is critical to ensuring the saliency of such programming moving forward. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to understand the strengths and limitations of online cessation support offered through QuitNow to better understand the needs of a variety of end-users who smoke, dual-use, or vape. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 80 tobacco users in British Columbia...
BACKGROUND A key factor in successfully reducing and quitting smoking, as well as preventing smok... more BACKGROUND A key factor in successfully reducing and quitting smoking, as well as preventing smoking relapse is access to and engagement with social support. Recent technological advances have made it possible for smokers to access social support via online community forums. While community forums associated with smoking cessation interventions are now common practice, there is a gap in understanding how and when the different types of social support (emotional, esteem, informational, tangible, and network) are exchanged on such forums. Community forums that entail “superusers” (a key marker of a successful forum), like QuitNow, are ripe for exploring and leveraging promising social support exchanges on these platforms. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to characterize the posts made on the QuitNow community forum at different stages in the quit journey, and determine when and how the social support constructs are present within the posts. METHODS A total of 506 posts (includin...
BACKGROUND Tobacco use has shifted in recent years, especially with the introduction of e-cigaret... more BACKGROUND Tobacco use has shifted in recent years, especially with the introduction of e-cigarettes. Despite the now variable and intersecting tobacco product use among tobacco users, most want to quit, which necessitates cessation programming to adapt to these variable trends (versus focusing on combustible cigarettes alone). The use of online modalities for cessation support has become quite popular in recent years, and has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, understanding the current strengths and weaknesses of existing programming to meet the needs of today’s various tobacco users is critical to ensuring the saliency of such programming moving forward. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to understand the strengths and limitations of online cessation support offered through QuitNow to better understand the needs of a variety of end-users who smoke, dual-use, or vape. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 80 tobacco users in British Columbia. Using conventional content analysis methods, we inductively derived descriptive categories and themes related to the strengths and weaknesses of QuitNow. We analyzed the data with the support of Nvivo 12 and Excel. RESULTS Participants described several strengths and limitations of QuitNow, as well as suggestions for improvement, which fell under two broad categories: Look and Feel, and Content and Features. Strengths included the government backing, welcoming vibe, and social and professional support available. Limitations included too much text, the need to create an account, and the lack of tailored behavioral support and user-driven content. In relation to suggestions for improvement, participants stated that the site needed more interaction, intuitive organization, improved interface aesthetics, a complementary smartphone app, forum discussion tags, more information for different tobacco user profiles, and user testimonials. Participants also provided ideas on how to raise awareness of QuitNow, which included social media, print-based materials, outreach, and product-based marketing. CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study provide directions for enhancing the saliency of online cessation programming for a variety of tobacco use behaviors that hallmark today’s tobacco use.
BACKGROUND Smoking rates in Canada remain unacceptably high, and cessation rates have stalled in ... more BACKGROUND Smoking rates in Canada remain unacceptably high, and cessation rates have stalled in recent years. Online cessation programs, touted for their ability to reach many different populations anytime, have shown promise in their efficacy. The Government of Canada has therefore funded provincial and national smoking cessation websites countrywide. However, little is known about the behavior change techniques (BCTs) that underpin the content of these websites, which is key to establishing the quality of the websites, as well as a way forward for evaluation. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study, therefore, is to apply the BCTTv1 taxonomy to Canadian provincial and federal websites, and to determine which BCTs they use. METHODS A total of 12 government-funded websites across Canada were included for analysis. Using deductive content analysis and through training in applying the BCTTv1 taxonomy, the website content was coded according to the 93 BCTs across the 16 BCT categories. RESULTS Of the 16 BCT categories, 14 were present within the websites. The most widely represented BCT categories (used in all 12 websites) included goals and planning, social support, natural consequences, and regulation. Implementation of BCTs within these categories varied across the sites. CONCLUSIONS Analyzing the content of online smoking cessation websites using the BCTTv1 taxonomy is an appropriate method for identifying the behavior change content of these programs. The findings offer programmers and researchers tangible directions for prioritizing and enhancing provincial and national smoking cessation programs, and an evaluation framework to assess smoking cessation outcomes in relation to the web-based content.
ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light a variety of key factors that affect tobacco... more ObjectivesThe COVID-19 pandemic has brought to light a variety of key factors that affect tobacco use, including behavioural patterns, social support and connection, and physical and mental health. What we do not know is how those motivated to quit were impacted by the pandemic. As such, understanding the unique experiences and needs of people motivated to quit smoking or vaping during the COVID-19 pandemic is critical. The aim of this study was to examine the cessation experiences of nicotine users during the COVID-19 pandemic.DesignWe conducted a supplementary secondary analysis of primary qualitative data, i.e., semi-structured interviews with individuals engaged in cigarette use (smoking), e-cigarette use (vaping) and dual use.SettingBritish Columbia, Canada.ParticipantsRelevant data were drawn from 33 participants out of the primary study’s 80-participant sample pool.MeasuresInterview questions explored barriers and facilitators to quitting nicotine use. We then used convention...
BACKGROUND Tobacco use has shifted in recent years, especially with the introduction of e-cigaret... more BACKGROUND Tobacco use has shifted in recent years, especially with the introduction of e-cigarettes. Despite the now variable and intersecting tobacco product use among tobacco users, most want to quit, which necessitates cessation programming to adapt to these variable trends (versus focusing on combustible cigarettes alone). The use of online modalities for cessation support has become quite popular in recent years, and has been compounded by the Covid-19 pandemic. Therefore, understanding the current strengths and weaknesses of existing programming to meet the needs of today’s various tobacco users is critical to ensuring the saliency of such programming moving forward. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study was to understand the strengths and limitations of online cessation support offered through QuitNow to better understand the needs of a variety of end-users who smoke, dual-use, or vape. METHODS Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 80 tobacco users in British Columbia...
BACKGROUND A key factor in successfully reducing and quitting smoking, as well as preventing smok... more BACKGROUND A key factor in successfully reducing and quitting smoking, as well as preventing smoking relapse is access to and engagement with social support. Recent technological advances have made it possible for smokers to access social support via online community forums. While community forums associated with smoking cessation interventions are now common practice, there is a gap in understanding how and when the different types of social support (emotional, esteem, informational, tangible, and network) are exchanged on such forums. Community forums that entail “superusers” (a key marker of a successful forum), like QuitNow, are ripe for exploring and leveraging promising social support exchanges on these platforms. OBJECTIVE The purpose of this study is to characterize the posts made on the QuitNow community forum at different stages in the quit journey, and determine when and how the social support constructs are present within the posts. METHODS A total of 506 posts (includin...
Uploads
Papers by Ramona (Himayini) Sharma