# Social Media Intervention to Promote Smoking Treatment Utilization and Cessation among Alaska Native Smokers

> **NIH NIH R34** · MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER · 2020 · $192,504

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Nationally, the prevalence of tobacco use is highest among Alaska Native (AN) people and tobacco cessation
interventions developed specifically for this disparity group are lacking. Geographic remoteness, climate, and
travel costs are key barriers to treatment delivery. Social media has promise as a scalable intervention strategy
to promote smoking treatment utilization and cessation for AN smokers. Building on our team's longstanding
tobacco control research partnership with the AN community, we propose to develop and pilot-test a culturally
relevant, Facebook-delivered intervention to promote smoking treatment uptake and cessation among AN
smokers. The Facebook content will include a digital storytelling approach adapted from the effective CDC
Tips™ from Former Smokers campaign. The Facebook intervention will promote the use of evidence-based
treatment, e.g., state quitline and tribal cessation programs.
This R34 application is submitted in response to PA-16-073, fulfilling the objectives for Stage I of the NIDA
behavioral integrative treatment development program. In Stage Ia, we will develop the Facebook intervention.
This formative research will use the cultural variance and surface/deep structure frameworks to address the
influence of culture in designing health messages, and adopt qualitative and quantitative pretesting methods to
develop and beta-test the intervention prototype. In Stage Ib, we will conduct a randomized pilot trial enrolling
60 adult AN smokers to evaluate the feasibility, uptake, consumer response, and potential efficacy of the
Facebook intervention, compared to a control condition (quitline/treatment referral). The primary outcomes will
be feasibility (e.g., Facebook engagement) and the biochemically-verified smoking abstinence rate at 1, 3, and
6 months follow-up. Secondary outcomes will include self-reported smoking cessation treatment utilization and
abstinence from all tobacco/nicotine products. We will also explore interdependence (relationship orientation
and collaborative efforts in lifestyle change) as a culturally relevant mediator of intervention efficacy. A
community advisory committee will guide all project activities. The project is innovative for developing a new
behavioral intervention to reach AN people statewide to promote smoking treatment utilization and cessation
using social media communication tools that are culturally relevant and have already been adopted. The study
is significant because it will advance research on population-specific treatments for an underserved, AN,
tobacco-use disparity group. If the pilot intervention is successful, we will have a blueprint to conduct a large,
randomized, controlled, efficacy trial.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9896801
- **Project number:** 5R34DA046008-03
- **Recipient organization:** MAYO CLINIC ROCHESTER
- **Principal Investigator:** Christi A Patten
- **Activity code:** R34 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $192,504
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-05-01 → 2022-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9896801

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9896801, Social Media Intervention to Promote Smoking Treatment Utilization and Cessation among Alaska Native Smokers (5R34DA046008-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9896801. Licensed CC0.

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