JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Social media presents an effective tool to reach, engage, and connect smokers in cessation efforts. Our team developed the Facebook group, CAN Quit (Connecting Alaska Native People to Quit smoking), to promote utilization of evidence-based smoking cessation resources for Alaska Native (AN) people living in Alaska, which are underutilized despite their effectiveness. Often separated by geography and climate, AN people prefer group-based approaches for tobacco cessation that support their culture and values. Such preferences make AN people candidates for social-media-based interventions which promote connection. This Viewpoint discusses the steps involved and lessons learned in building and beta-testing our Facebook (FB) group prototype. We describe the process of training moderators to facilitate group engagement and foster community and we describe how we developed and beta tested our intervention prototype and FB group. All parts of the prototype are designed to facilitate utilization of evidence-based cessation treatments. We include recommendations for best practices with the hope that lessons learned from the CAN Quit prototype could provide a model for others to create similar platforms that benefit Alaska Native / American Indian people in the context of smoking cessation.