Study of the Diffusion of a Smoking Cessation Application Through an Online Network

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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Effective evidence-based interventions exist for smoking cessation delivered over the Internet, but consumer acceptance and adherence remains low. Scalable and efficient mechanisms to disseminate these interventions online are needed, and existing online social networks provide a potential mechanism. This is a proposal for a randomized, factorial trial of the dissemination of an evidence-based intervention through the massive Facebook social network, with the goal of determining intervention characteristics that drive viral spread.

Official Title
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Online Social Networks for Dissemination of Smoking Cessation Interventions

Conditions
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Use and Dissemination of Smoking Cessation Intervention, Cessation of Smoking

Intervention / Treatment
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* Behavioral: Facebook app - condition t
* Behavioral: Facebook app - condition z
* Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-active
* Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-passive


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Facebook user Age 18 years or older Entered UbiQUITous Facebook Application Confirms smoker status U.S. resident Exclusion Criteria: Non-smoker Under 18 years old Non-U.S. resident Non-Facebook advertisement point of entry

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Factorial Assignment
Masking: Double


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: 2 - B-passive<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-passive<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing the passive diffusion of information from the user to their friends.<br>* Other names: Bp;|
| Experimental: 3 - B-active<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-active<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing a users ability and desire to proactively contact others.<br>* Other names: Ba;|
| Experimental: 4 - B-active, B-passive<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-active<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing a users ability and desire to proactively contact others.<br>* Other names: Ba;Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-passive<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing the passive diffusion of information from the user to their friends.<br>* Other names: Bp;|
| Experimental: 6 - z, B-passive<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition z<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the number of friends that a user has that are eligible to install the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-passive<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing the passive diffusion of information from the user to their friends.<br>* Other names: Bp;|
| Experimental: 7 - z, B-active<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition z<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the number of friends that a user has that are eligible to install the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-active<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing a users ability and desire to proactively contact others.<br>* Other names: Ba;|
| Experimental: 8 - z, B-active, B-passive<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition z<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the number of friends that a user has that are eligible to install the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-active<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing a users ability and desire to proactively contact others.<br>* Other names: Ba;Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-passive<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing the passive diffusion of information from the user to their friends.<br>* Other names: Bp;|
| Experimental: 10 - t, B-passive<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition t<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the duration (t, time) that a participant spends using the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-passive<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing the passive diffusion of information from the user to their friends.<br>* Other names: Bp;|
| Experimental: 11 - t, B-active<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition t<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the duration (t, time) that a participant spends using the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-active<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing a users ability and desire to proactively contact others.<br>* Other names: Ba;|
| Experimental: 12 - t, B-active, B-passive<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition t<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the duration (t, time) that a participant spends using the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-active<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing a users ability and desire to proactively contact others.<br>* Other names: Ba;Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-passive<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing the passive diffusion of information from the user to their friends.<br>* Other names: Bp;|
| Experimental: 14 - t, z<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition t<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the duration (t, time) that a participant spends using the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition z<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the number of friends that a user has that are eligible to install the application.<br>|
| Experimental: 15 - t, z, B-active<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition t<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the duration (t, time) that a participant spends using the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition z<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the number of friends that a user has that are eligible to install the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-active<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing a users ability and desire to proactively contact others.<br>* Other names: Ba;|
| Experimental: 16 - t, z, B-active, B-passive<br> | Behavioral: Facebook app - condition t<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the duration (t, time) that a participant spends using the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition z<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the number of friends that a user has that are eligible to install the application.<br>Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-active<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing a users ability and desire to proactively contact others.<br>* Other names: Ba;Behavioral: Facebook app - condition B-passive<br>* Application components hypothesized to increase the contagiousness of the app by increasing the passive diffusion of information from the user to their friends.<br>* Other names: Bp;|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Reproductive rate | The investigators will measure the reproductive rate for each condition, in other words the average number of additional individuals that install the application for each original individual recruited to participate. Higher reproductive rates indicate more efficient and faster dissemination. | 30 days |