Purpose: To review the characteristics and effects Internet-based youth smoking
prevention and cessation programs.
Design: Systematic review of published articles in peer-reviewed journals in
the past 10 years, focused on Internet-based youth smoking prevention and
cessation programs.
Methods: Twelve articles were selected based on the following criteria: studies
reporting the outcomes of Internet-based smoking cessation or prevention
intervention programs for adolescents who are younger than 24 years.
Findings: The components of youth Internet-based smoking intervention
programs are analyzed based on study features (i.e., sample, design, theoretical
basis, analysis, outcome measures) and program characteristics (i.e., focus,
setting, frequency, duration, intensity, and different components) that make
the programs effective. The most common components of effective Internetbased
programs are identified as the following: the use of multimedia, tailored
approaches, personalized feedback, and interactive features.
Conclusions: The characteristics and effects of the programs vary, but most
programs show positive results in youth smoking prevention and cessation in
spite of the studies’ limitations.
Clinical Relevance: The evidence from this review provides useful information
of recent efforts related to Internet-based youth smoking prevention and
cessation programs, which can have significant clinical implications in developing
future innovative youth smoking prevention and intervention programs