Testing the Feasibility and Acceptability of Social Media and Digital Therapeutics to Decrease Vaping Behaviors
Washington University School of Medicine
Summary
Use of vaping products (e.g., electronic nicotine delivery systems, e-cigarettes) has been increasing rapidly, particularly among teens and young adults. With limited information on the long-term effects of vaping products, health information about vaping has been somewhat unclear in regards to associated health risks. Teens and young adults may be reluctant to disclose their use of vaping products to parents or health providers and instead turn to social media to share and seek out information regarding vaping risks and cessation supports. Thus, our current proposal outlines the use of social media to identify teens and young adults socially networking about vaping, the use of an online chatbot screen to evaluate individual cessation support needs, and the use of a digital intervention system to support vaping cessation. The mobile intervention used in this study is based on a widely-used evidence-based mobile intervention for combustible smoking (i.e., quitSTART) and has been adapted for vaping and young adults to include an in-app chatbot to guide users to tailored content and to motivate and encourage their cessation efforts. We aim to integrate our social media recruitment and online screening approach to connect individuals with this mobile app intervention, and will conduct a randomized controlled trial to evaluate user engagement with and preliminary efficacy of the digital intervention on reducing vaping behaviors among teens and young adults.
Eligibility
- Age range
- 15–25 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * US Resident * English Speaking * Have daily access to a smartphone * Current vaping product user (P30D) * Identified as socially networking about a desire to quit vaping and/or experiencing negative health outcomes due to vaping * Vaping product user only (i.e., not using vaping as a means to support combustible smoking cessation)
Interventions
- DevicequitSTART Mobile Application
Mobile application with educational content, motivational messages, self-monitoring, and tips for managing cravings to support vaping cessation among young adults.
- BehavioralChatbot Feature in quitSTART Mobile Application
In-App chatbot feature emedded into quitSTART mobile application to motivate vaping cessation and support app navigation.
Location
- Washington University in St. Louis, School of MedicineSt Louis, Missouri