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Journal Article

Journal of medical Internet research

J.Med.Internet Res.

26-Mar

10

1

e8

LR: 20151119; ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT00282009; GR: R01 CA104836/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; GR: R01 CA104836-05/CA/NCI NIH HHS/United States; JID: 100959882; OID: NLM: PMC2483847; 2007/10/28 [received]; 2008/02/20 [accepted]; 2008/02/07 [revised]; epubli

United States

1438-8871; 1438-8871

PMID: 18364345

eng

Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; IM

10.2196/jmir.987 [doi]

Unknown(0)

18364345

BACKGROUND: Smoking is more prevalent among lower-income individuals and certain racial/ethnic minorities. Addressing tobacco cessation among diverse populations is an urgent public health priority. As Internet use continues to rise among all segments of the US population, Web-based interventions have enormous potential to reach priority populations. Conducting Web-based smoking cessation research in priority populations requires psychometrically sound measurement instruments. To date, only one published study has examined the psychometric properties of Internet-administered measures commonly used in Web-based cessation trials. However, the sample was homogeneous with regard to race/ethnicity and income. We sought to replicate and extend these findings in a more diverse sample of smokers. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to examine the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of measures commonly used in smoking cessation clinical trials among racial/ethnic minorities and smokers with lower income. METHODS: Participants were enrolled in a randomized trial of the efficacy of an Internet smoking cessation program between June 2005 and September 2006. Following a baseline telephone assessment and randomization into the parent trial, participants were recruited to the reliability substudy. In phase I of recruitment, all participants in the parent trial were recruited to the substudy; in phase II, all consecutive racial/ethnic minority participants in the parent trial were recruited. Race and ethnicity were assessed via self-report using two standard items from the US Office of Management and Budget. An email was sent 2 days after the telephone assessment with a link to the Internet survey. Measures examined were quit methods, perceived stress, depression, social support, smoking temptations, alcohol use, perceived health status, and income. Internal consistency and test-retest reliability of Internet- versus telephone-administered measures were examined within four strata defined by race/ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, racial/ethnic minority) and annual household income (US $40,000 or less, more than $40,000). RESULTS: Of the 442 individuals invited, 319 participated (72% response rate): 52.4% were non-Hispanic White, 22.9% Black, 11.6% Hispanic, 7.8% Asian, 4.4% American Indian / Alaska Native, and 1% Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander. About half (49.4%) reported an annual household income of US $40,000 or less, and 25.7% had a high school degree or less. Test-retest reliability was satisfactory to excellent across all strata for the majority of measures examined: 9 of 12 continuous variables had intraclass correlation coefficients > or = 0.70, and 10 of 18 binary variables and both ordinal variables had kappa coefficients > or = 0.70. Test-retest reliability of several quit methods varied across strata. CONCLUSIONS: Race/ethnicity and income do not affect the psychometric properties of most Internet-administered measures examined. This knowledge adds to the confidence of conducting Web-based smoking cessation research and strengthens the scientific rigor of collecting information via the Internet on racial/ethnic minority and low-income subgroups. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov NCT00282009 (parent trial).

Adult, Confidence Intervals, Female, Health Behavior/ethnology, Humans, Internet/utilization, Male, Middle Aged, Patient Education as Topic/methods, Patient Participation/statistics & numerical data, Poverty, Psychometrics, Referral and Consultation/statistics & numerical data, Reproducibility of Results, Smoking/ethnology, Smoking Cessation/ethnology/methods, Surveys and Questionnaires, Telephone/utilization, Tobacco Use Disorder/ethnology/rehabilitation, Treatment Outcome, United States/epidemiology

Graham,A. L., Papandonatos,G. D.

20080326

PMC2483847