Fact or Fiction? The Development and Evaluation of a Tobacco Virtual Health Tool

Dados Bibliográficos

ID15501193
AutoresGeneviève Jessiman‐Perreault (0000-0002-2755-7891, Alberta Health Services, autor correspondente), Rachel Dunn (0000-0002-5441-8088, Alberta Health Services), Angela Erza (Alberta Health Services), Candace Kratchmer (Alberta Health Services), Ameera Memon (Alberta Health Services), Howie Thomson (Alberta Health Services), Lisa Allen Scott (0000-0002-9607-7672, Alberta Health Services)
Ano2023
Volume20
Fascículo2
Páginas1397-1397
Data de publicação2023-01-12
Peer ReviewedSim
Open AccessSim
TipoARTICLE
PeriódicoInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (JOURNAL)
Identificadores do periódicoISSN: 1661-7827 • E-ISSN: 1660-4601
EditoraMultidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (PUBLISHER • CH)
DOI10.3390/ijerph20021397
PMID36674153
OpenAlexW4315786483
IdiomaEN
Referências citadas18

The virtual setting is an important setting for health promotion as individuals increasingly go online for health information and support. Yet, users can have difficulty finding valid, trustworthy, and user-friendly health information online. In 2022, we launched an interactive Fact or Fiction Tobacco virtual health tool. The virtual health tool uses evidence-informed tailored content to engage users and refer them to local tobacco cessation resources. The present paper describes the development, user testing, and evaluation of this tool. The Fact or Fiction virtual health tool was designed by tobacco cessation and health marketing experts and informed by health behaviour theories of change. The tool captures data on who is seeking health information, the user's stage of readiness to quit tobacco products, and whether they act by accessing referred resources. In 2021, we conducted two phases of user testing prior to marketing the tool publicly. After 7 weeks of marketing, we collected data on user interactions with the tool and evaluated the reach of the tool. Results from user testing found the tool to be engaging, easy to use, and quick to complete. Adaptations were made to simplify and condense text and include additional animations. During the first seven weeks of the tool being live, it reached 2306 users, and 38.7% of those users were current or occasional tobacco users. Users were classified based on their intention to quit. Bivariate analysis found that the tool was successful in driving tobacco users towards action as 21.2% tobacco users who were looking to quit and 8.8% of tobacco users who were not looking to quit clicked on local tobacco cessation resources. This virtual health tool is reaching the targeted population and providing tailored information needed at each stage of the continuum of health behaviour change. Among tobacco users looking to quit, this virtual health tool acts as a quick referral to local tobacco cessation resources

Environmental health · Tobacco use · Computer Science · Digital Mental Health Interventions · Medicine · Mobile Health and mHealth Applications · Social Media in Health Education