[Not Available].

In 2007, a Quebecan campaign aimed at smoking addiction cessation entitled "Défi J'arrête J'y gagne" (The "I quit I win" challenge) resorted to a multimedia communications strategy that used a range of online resources (a website and emails) to serve as support tools over a one-year period. Research on this campaign focuses on the involvement of Quebecan smokers in the "Défi J'arrête J'y gagne" contest (n = 25156) as well as cessation in participating subjects. This paper examines factors related to the use and impact of emails in the strategy of behavioural change. The instruments used for the purposes of data collection included a registration form, two surveys, and content analysis. The first survey (n = 3119), conducted six months after the start of the contest, measured two different stages within the cessation period (after six weeks and after six months). The second survey (n = 753), conducted one year after the start of the contest, measures cessation during the one-year period in smokers studied in the first survey. A content analysis was carried out on 22 emails. The results of this research indicate that emails had no impact on smoking addiction cessation at the six-week and six-month stages. Accessibility, recurrence, frequency, credibility, design quality, interactivity, and adaptation to stage of behavioural change appear to be factors that may contribute to behavioural change. The elements analyzed in emails indicate that, in order to positively affect behavioural change, emails should be respectful, informative, succinct, and include references (hyperlinks); they should also be compatible and congruent with participant's conception of health and healthcare.