UIC leads ‘Internet-based’ anti-smoking research
With a $2.9 million dollar budget and the backing of the National Cancer Institute, UIC is pushing a project on the Internet that hopes to develop different ways to prompt young adults to quit smoking. UIC, alongside researchers from the University of Iowa and the American Legacy Foundation, hopes to create interactive Internet advertisements to depress smoking amongst young adults.
The study is targeting 3,000 young smokers for the Internet survey. The advertisements will go on virtual social hubs such as Craigslist. The project will happen in four-phases. First, they will create Internet advertisements to target young smokers. Next, they will evaluate their success in reaching young adults through these advertisements. After that, they hope to determine whether or not their approach is working at its goals of reaching people. Finally, they will determine whether or not the program stopped anyone from smoking.
Psychology professor Robin Mermelstein, who is also director of UIC’s Institute for Health Research and Policy and lead investigator of the five-year study, says “Even though many young adults think about quitting and actually want to stop smoking, they tend not to use what we know works-evidence-based approaches to quitting.
“Our prior research has shown that if you want to reach and engage young adults, then you need to go where they are, and the Internet is it,” added Mermelstein.
“Our approach is to develop messages that might have enduring value and deliver these messages across the Internet to drive the demand of young adults to seek evidence-based treatments. Ultimately, we want to help young smokers to quit smoking now before they continue to accrue the health risks associated with smoking.”
Others, however, aren’t so sure this approach is going to work.
“I [for one] don’t pay attention to ads unless I accidentally click one,” says Emily Brisseau, fourth-year French and mathematics double-major, when reached for comment. “Then I get pissed.”
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