It Turns Out Maybe There’s a Method To Our Madness

I ran across this little gem of an exchange the other day in the General Discussion thread on our forums and I wanted to pass it along.  A recent study was done on the affects of, “Health issue-specific Social Networking Sites”… ya know, sort of like KillTheCan.org which happens to have (I think) the largest smokeless tobacco specific forum on the web.  We’ve also got a live chat, the main site, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

Forum member OneImpressiveBall (who ironically this week also posted his HOF Speech) shared this study:

Title: Quitting smoking using health issue-specific Social Networking Sites (SNSs): What influences participation, social identification, and smoking cessation self-efficacy?

Author: Joe Phua

Year: 2013

Publication: Journal of Smoking Cessation

DOI: 10.1017/jsc.2013.18

URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/jsc.2013.18

Abstract:

Introduction: This study examined members of health issue-specific social networking sites (SNSs) for smoking cessation, applying Social Identity Theory (SIT).

Aims: The aim of the study was to test the relationships between perceived verbal, affective, cognitive and physical intimacy on the sites, participation level, social identification and smoking cessation self-efficacy.

Methods: An online questionnaire (N = 252) assessed members of SNSs for smoking cessation. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), structural equation modelling (SEM), mediation analysis, MANOVA and ANOVA tests were used to test the hypotheses.

Results/Findings: Verbal, affective, cognitive and physical intimacy significantly predicted participation; participation significantly predicted social identification and smoking cessation self-efficacy; and social identification mediated between participation and smoking cessation self-efficacy. Active participants and lurkers differed significantly on perceived verbal, affective, cognitive and physical intimacy, social identification, and smoking cessation self-efficacy.

Conclusions: Health issue-specific SNSs for smoking cessation have a positive impact on members’ smoking cessation self-efficacy. Higher perceived intimacy facilitates participation online, which in turn influences smoking cessation self-efficacy, with social identification mediating this relationship.

And what does that all mean?  SirDerek from the forums chimed in and gave his take:

I think in Layman’s terms…

Join the Site

Follow the rule for posting daily

Interact with the people within and outside of your quit groups to go from strangers to having a real friendship with them, send them e-mails, texts, give them a phone call from time to time.

And by doing this you will have a higher chance of being and staying quit.

This stuff works folks.  Our forums have tens of thousands of members.  In this case, bigger IS better.  Just THINK about how much quit knowledge that is.  Just THINK about how many experiences with withdrawals that is.  Just THINK about how many people truly “get” what you’re going through.

Join us… get involved.  Drink the proverbial “Quit Kool-Aid”.  I didn’t need to see it to believe it, but this study provides scientific PROOF that it works.