Development and acceptability testing of a Facebook smoking cessation intervention for sexual and gender minority young adults

Abstract

This study tested engagement in and acceptability of a digital smoking cessation intervention designed for young adults and tailored to sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals. The intervention included 90 Facebook posts delivered in private groups tailored to readiness to quit smoking (Ready to quit in 30 days/Not Ready; 180 posts total; 101 posts SGM-tailored by content/image). Acceptability was evaluated over 30 days (3 posts/day). Participants' ( N = 27) open-ended feedback was coded and tallied; posts with significant negative feedback were flagged for change. Flags and comment volume were examined by SGM tailoring (versus not tailored) and content category (motivational interviewing, experiential strategies, behavioral strategies, relevant topics). Engagement and acceptability were high. All participants reported viewing at least half of the posts, and the majority reported viewing all 90 posts ( M comments per participant = 51.74). The majority of participants agreed or strongly agreed with statements about the intervention's helpfulness and clarity. Posts received an average of 8.08 comments ( SD = 2.58), with 59 posts (32.8%) flagged for change. Posts engaged comments and were found to be acceptable at comparable levels regardless of SGM tailoring and content category (all p-values > .189). SGM young adult smokers were highly engaged in an SGM-tailored smoking cessation intervention on Facebook and rated the intervention positively. Both tailored and non-tailored Facebook posts in a variety of content areas were generally well-received by SGM young adults, an underserved population with high rates of smoking.

The Put It Out Project (POP) Facebook Intervention for Young Sexual and Gender Minority Smokers: Outcomes of a Pilot, Randomized, Controlled Trial

“…Reported abstinence rates for this SGM-tailored digital smoking cessation intervention were comparable to those of SGM-tailored smoking cessation interventions that included face-to-face contact and only enrolled smokers who were ready to quit. 13,15 Consistent with our previous research, 31,34 results of this study suggest that Facebook remains an effective platform for delivering a smoking cessation intervention to SGM young adults throughout the United States. The sample was diverse in both sexual identity and gender identity, suggesting a broad appeal of the intervention and supporting our previous finding that SGM young adults desired diverse groups in an SGM-tailored Facebook smoking cessation intervention.…”

“…This finding was unexpected, as our formative work found no significant differences in engagement with intervention content by SGM tailoring or content category. 31 Despite lower engagement (as measured by comment volume), the SGM-tailored intervention resulted in greater reported abstinence and reduced smoking. Prior research has shown mixed associations between measures of engagement in digital smoking cessation interventions and smoking cessation outcomes.…”

“…Intervention content was developed and revised through formative work, including online focus groups 23 and usability testing. 31 Additionally, the counselor for the POP intervention live sessions introduced herself as a member of the SGM community in the first session and referred to the SGM community regularly in subsequent sessions.…”

Effectiveness, Acceptability, and Feasibility of Digital Health Interventions for LGBTIQ+ Young People: Systematic Review

“…There were few interventions targeting physical health problems or sexual health and well-being in LGBTIQ+ young people. Only one digital intervention focused on smoking cessation and targeted physical health in LGBTIQ+ young people [ 98 , 99 ]. This intervention showed aspects of both community-driven and theoretical designs.…”

“…Many interventions used gamification, or elements of game playing such as point scoring, in their delivery; however, only 2 interventions were fully gamified in nature [ 90 , 95 ]. Few interventions incorporated social interactivity and where present, they were typically minimal [ 72 , 75 , 78 , 90 , 98 ]. Most interventions were multimedia, incorporating a number of different delivery formats and types of content.…”