A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Effectiveness of a Digital Health Game Intervention on Early Adolescent Smoking Refusal Self-Efficacy
Authors: Nyman Johanna, Salantera Sanna, Pasanen Miko, Parisod Heidi
Publisher: Sage
Publication year: 2024
Journal: Health Education and Behavior
Journal name in source: HEALTH EDUCATION & BEHAVIOR
Volume: 51
Issue: 4
First page : 562
Last page: 572
ISSN: 1090-1981
eISSN: 1552-6127
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10901981241237788
Web address : https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/10901981241237788
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/387526634
Smoking poses a significant threat to adolescent health because of its immediate and long-term detrimental health effects. Smoking refusal self-efficacy predicts smoking behavior in adolescence. In adolescents’ health education, digital interventions are potential tools to support smoking refusal self-efficacy. The aim of this two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial was to evaluate the effectiveness of a digital health game intervention compared with a no-intervention control group on smoking refusal self-efficacy in 10- to 13-year-old Finnish early adolescents. The early adolescents (n = 781) were randomized to the control group (n = 394) and the health game intervention group (n = 387). Smoking refusal self-efficacy, sources of smoking and snus refusal self-efficacy, and motivation to decline smoking and snus use in the future were measured at baseline, 2-week postintervention, and 3-month follow-up. Data were analyzed using linear mixed model and Wilcoxon rank-based test for clustered data. According to the results, the intervention group made improvements in sources of smoking and snus refusal self-efficacy between baseline and postintervention, and in sources of snus refusal self-efficacy between baseline and follow-up, compared with the control group. The intervention group showed improvements in smoking refusal self-efficacy among 12-year-olds between baseline and follow-up, and postintervention and follow-up compared with the control group. Similar improvements were also found among those with a smoking friend or a smoking parent between postintervention and follow-up. The results were promising for the use of digital health game interventions to promote early adolescent smoking refusal self-efficacy and preventing smoking experimentation. Further research can evaluate the long-term effects for adolescents.
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Funding information in the publication:
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This study was funded by the TYKS Foundation grant and the Cancer Society of South-West Finland grant.