Recruiting Latino Smokers via the Internet: The Feasibility of Online Advertising

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Tobacco use is a major preventable cause of cancer and disease burden among Latinos in the U.S. The rapid growth of the Latino population means there will be an increase from 7 million to over 16 million Latino smokers by 2050 if smoking rates remain unchecked. Millions of Latino smokers are now using the Internet and web-based cessation programs have a growing evidence base of efficacy. Recruitment of Latino smokers to web-based cessation studies has been difficult and little is known about effective recruitment strategies. Research is needed to determine if web-based cessation programs work for Latinos, by what mechanisms, and at what cost. For this research to be possible, however, it is first necessary to identify theory-driven recruitment strategies that are cost efficient in reaching online Latino smokers. This mixed-method study aims to develop and test the effectiveness of online banner advertising in recruiting online Latino smokers to a free, bilingual smoking cessation website. In the qualitative phase of the project, expert input and consumer testing with Latino smokers will guide the development of four online banner ads. Ads will cross cultural targeting (surface vs. deep) with message framing (gain vs. loss frame) to determine the optimal communication strategy. The quantitative phase of the project will use a 4x4 Latin Square design to test the effectiveness of online ads with four outcome metrics: 1) the absolute number of clicks on an ad, 2) the clickthrough- rate to the smoking cessation website, 3) number of Latino registrants on the cessation site, and 4) cost per registrant. The hypotheses tested are that deep targeted ads will outperform surface targeted ads, holding constant message frame, and that gain framed messages will outperform loss framed messages, holding constant cultural targeting. We will also explore the potential interaction between message framing and cultural targeting, as well as the cost efficiency of ad delivery. Data from the present study will be used in a future R01 to recruit Latinos into a web-based cessation program to test the reach and efficacy of this cessation modality. This project will advance communication science by testing specific theories related to message framing and cultural targeting. This project will also add knowledge to the science of dissemination and help strengthen the dissemination of science using direct to consumer marketing and the Internet as a new channel to reach online Latino smokers. Results from this study will provide a transportable model for how to reach and recruit other racial/ethnic minority groups to web-based trials. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Internet cessation programs hold great potential to reduce smoking prevalence and cancer disparities among the millions of online Latino smokers. The first step in realizing this potential is to develop effective methods to recruit Latinos to web-based smoking cessation programs.