Weekly enrollment and usage patterns in an Internet smoking cessation intervention

Background Previous analyses of Google search queries identified circaseptan (weekly) rhythms in smoking cessation information seeking, with Google searches for “quit” and “smoking” peaking early in the week. Similar patterns were observed for smoking cessation treatment seeking, such as calls to quitlines. These findings suggest that smoking cessation behaviors may have a weekly rhythm that could be leveraged to improve smoking cessation efforts. Aims To assess whether weekly enrollment and usage patterns exist for an Internet smoking cessation intervention. Methods We used process data from a large, longstanding Internet smoking cessation intervention (www.becomeanex.org). Pearson's chi-squared tests were performed to identify day-of-the week differences in enrollment, first visit to site community pages, and quit date. Differences were considered statistically significant at the 1% level if p
Highlights • Enrollment rates for an Internet smoking cessation intervention were highest on Mondays and Tuesdays. • Participants tended to select quit dates that fell on Sunday-Tuesday, though Thursday quit dates were also common. • Some website features were utilized at higher rates by users who enrolled early in the week compared to over the weekend. • Patterns of enrollment and engagement may indicate general fluctuations in smokers' interest in and commitment to quitting. • Internet interventions and public health campaigns could deliver strategic messaging when smokers may be more receptive.