Rusk, A.M.

Abstract Introduction: Over 90% of adolescents (18-24 years) have a social media account. In 2021, an estimated 18.3% of 18-24-year-olds used electronic cigarettes. This age group is more likely to use social media as a health information resource than other sources. The social media platform TikTok is the fastest growing platform among adolescents. There is growing interest in vaping cessation among adolescents, and vaping cessation posts have grown accordingly. Our hypothesis is there are diverse vaping cessation methods described by TikTok users important for clinicians to understand. The use of qualitative methods informed by netnography represents an ideal way to evaluate TikTok videos. Methods: TikTok videos describing at least one vaping cessation method posted in English uploaded after January 1, 2022 were eligible for inclusion. Any post associated with advertising, sponsorship, corporations, or retail entities were excluded. Reposts of any kind were excluded. A total of 200 videos were reviewed in duplicate for eligibility. NVivo Version 14 transcription cloud and coding software was used. Coding was conducted independently by the study team until thematic saturation was reached. This study was deemed exempt by the Mayo Clinic Institutional Review Board as social media data is public domain and no identifiers were collected. Results: A total of 52 videos were included. Included videos had an average of 2.4 million views, 285,000 likes, and 11,000 shares. There were a wide variety of vaping cessation methods described. Some methods, such as hand motions mimicking vaping, limiting exposures, and use of nicotine replacement are supported by cigarette smoking cessation literature. There were also numerous videos outlining methods known to be ineffective or harmful, including instructions to vape continuously until illness occurs, and utilizing negative self-affirmations to “scold” yourself when using electronic cigarettes. Themes of inner strength, motivations, and shame were also discussed, and multiple users described their “wake up call” to quit vaping. Conclusions: Social media platforms are growing in popularity with adolescents and individuals under age 18. The inability for users to discriminate between evidence-based health advice and anecdotal experiences represents a key issue for clinicians to be aware of when counseling patients. Given the age demographics of social media users, this issue will grow as the population ages. Clinicians should engage in conversations with their patients about sources of reputable health information, and future directions may include novel methods such as partnering with influencers or social media companies.

Abstract RATIONALE: Community engagement is critical in the conduct of research seeking to address healthcare disparities. Indigenous peoples (American Indians and Alaskan Natives) have the highest prevalence of cigarette smoking and commercial tobacco use among all racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Including Indigenous people as partners in the research process is critical for moving interventions to improve health forward. Engagement in the research process should be considerate of the time, travel, and ease of use for research participants and advisors. Based on feedback from community members, we launched social media pages with deidentified study updates for past participants and any interested community members to receive updates on a prospective mixed methods study designed to inform a pilot smoking cessation intervention. METHODS: Facebook and Instagram were the social media platforms identified for this study. Prior themes identified from the principal investigator's previous work and results of current study informed the development of posts. Institutional Review Board approval was granted for this community engagement method. There were no recruitment activities conducted on these pages, and all information was presented in a deidentified, thematic fashion to protect research participants. There were two social media moderators monitoring interaction with social media pages. An Indigenous artist created accompanying images to enhance engagement with posts. The content covered discussions on smoking cessation identified from the primary study along with profiles highlighting team members and allies. Posts were made at non-fixed, variable intervals from May to September 2024, and were checked bi-weekly to ensure respectful conduct. RESULTS: Between May and September 2024, ten posts were shared, including three highlighting Indigenous team members and allies and seven focused on smoking cessation discussions. Instagram had more engagement when compared to Facebook. Posts that featured Indigenous team members and allies received higher interaction when compared to those on smoking cessation alone, contributing to Instagram's overall success. CONCLUSION: Instagram was the more effective platform demonstrating higher engagement and follower growth when compared to Facebook. Of note, on both platforms, posts that highlighted team members and allies resonated well, and generated the most interaction. This not only emphasizes social media as an effective tool to engage underserved populations in the research process, but also suggests that emphasizing representation and ally-ship among research teams is impactful when engaging Indigenous audiences. This outcome exemplifies the importance of integrating cultural relevance in public health messaging when discussing thoughts and attitudes surrounding smoking cessation.

Abstract Rationale Increased risk of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hospitalization and death has been reported among patients with clinical lung disease. Objectives To test the association of objective measures of prepandemic lung function and structure with COVID-19 outcomes in U.S. adults. Methods Prepandemic obstruction (FEV1/FVC < 0.70) and restriction (FEV1/FVC ⩾ 0.7, FVC < 80%) were defined based on the most recent spirometry exam conducted in 11 prospective U.S. general population–based cohorts. Severe obstruction was classified by FEV1 < 50%. Percentage emphysema, percentage high-attenuation areas, and interstitial lung abnormalities were defined on computed tomography in a subset. Incident COVID-19 was ascertained via questionnaires, serosurvey, and medical records from 2020 to 2023 and classified as severe (hospitalized or fatal) or nonsevere. Cause-specific hazard models were adjusted for sociodemographics, anthropometry, smoking, comorbidities, and COVID-19 vaccination status. Measurements and Main Results Among 29,323 participants (mean age, 67 yr), there were 748 severe incident COVID-19 cases over median follow-up of 17.3 months from March 1, 2020. Greater hazards of severe COVID-19 were associated with severe obstruction (vs. normal; adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 2.11; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02–1.27), restriction (vs. normal; aHR, 1.40; 95% CI, 1.12–1.76), and percentage emphysema (highest vs. lowest quartile; aHR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.03–2.61), but not greater high-attenuation areas or interstitial lung abnormalities. COVID-19 vaccination provided greater absolute risk reduction in these groups. Results were similar in participants without smoking, obesity, or clinical cardiopulmonary disease. Conclusions Prepandemic severe spirometric obstruction, spirometric restriction, and greater percentage emphysema lung on computed tomography were associated with risk of severe COVID-19. These findings support enhanced COVID-19 risk mitigation for individuals with impaired lung health and warrant further mechanistic studies on interactions of lung function, structure, and vulnerability to acute respiratory illnesses.