Diffusion of an Evidence-Based Smoking Cessation Intervention Through Facebook: A Randomized Controlled Trial

To examine the diffusion of an evidence-based smoking cessation application ("app") through Facebook social networks and identify specific intervention components that accelerate diffusion. Between December 2012 and October 2013, we recruited adult US smokers ("seeds") via Facebo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:American journal of public health (1971) 2016-06, Vol.106 (6), p.1130-1135
Main Authors: Cobb, Nathan K, Jacobs, Megan A, Wileyto, Paul, Valente, Thomas, Graham, Amanda L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
AJPH Research
Behavior
Clinical trials
Design
Diffusion
Diffusion of Innovation
Evidence-Based Practice - methods
Female
Health Promotion
Humans
Informed consent
Internet
Intervention
Male
Other Tobacco
Public health
Seeds
Smoking Cessation
Social Media
Social networks
Tobacco
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Summary:To examine the diffusion of an evidence-based smoking cessation application ("app") through Facebook social networks and identify specific intervention components that accelerate diffusion. Between December 2012 and October 2013, we recruited adult US smokers ("seeds") via Facebook advertising and randomized them to 1 of 12 app variants using a factorial design. App variants targeted components of diffusion: duration of use (t), "contagiousness" (β), and number of contacts (Z). The primary outcome was the reproductive ratio (R), defined as the number of individuals installing the app ("descendants") divided by the number of a seed participant's Facebook friends. We randomized 9042 smokers. App utilization metrics demonstrated between-variant differences in expected directions. The highest level of diffusion (R = 0.087) occurred when we combined active contagion strategies with strategies to increase duration of use (incidence rate ratio = 9.99; 95% confidence interval = 5.58, 17.91; P 
ISSN:0090-0036
1541-0048
DOI:10.2105/AJPH.2016.303106