School-based smoking prevention in adolescents via the Internet: who do we reach and what do they think about it?

Background. Although computer expert systems (ES) have shown their efficacy and efficiency as an individual, population-based prevention instrument in adults and seem to be a promising approach in adolescents, too, little is known yet from school samples how many of the target individuals can be reached and how attractive ES are for them. Objectives. (a) Description of sociodemographic and smoking behaviour related variables of a school-based sample of adolescents that can be reached and involved by a web-based ES prevention intervention, (b) and evaluation of the attractiveness of the ES in the target population. Material and methods. A sample of n = 2449 adolescents from grade 7 through 10 participated in an expert system intervention, sociodemographic and smoking behaviour related variables were assessed and the attractiveness of the ES was evaluated. Results. In the region under examination 53% of the schools took part in this trial. In these, 63.3% of all the students grade 7 through 10 participated in the ES intervention. 71.3% of the adolescents under examination evaluated the expert system as interesting, appropriate for their age and gender and 81.6% liked the program. Among non-smokers 82.2% indicated that it reinforced them to stay non-smokers. 49.9% of the smokers replied that the program had made them think about their smoking behaviour. Conclusions. This ES seems to be an attractive measure that may provide a smoking prevention measure with population impact. Further studies need to examine its efficacy.