Jacobs, Megan A

Background Increasing intentions to quit e-cigarettes among youth and young adults can reduce usage rates by making quit attempts more likely. This study assessed the potential impacts of a national media campaign, focused on building knowledge of e-cigarette use risks and cessation resources, on intentions to quit and campaign-targeted beliefs about mental health and quitting. Methods A national sample from a repeated cross-sectional online survey was collected from March 2022 to August 2023, among youth and young adults who reported e-cigarette use in the past 30 days (N=5169). Regression models were used to assess associations between weekly campaign awareness and frequency of exposure on intentions to quit e-cigarette use within the next 6 months and targeted beliefs related to mental health and quitting. Results Participants who were aware of both cessation and knowledge-building messaging were more likely to report intentions to quit e-cigarette use in the next 6 months (OR 1.43, (95% CI 1.21, 1.69)) and agree with quitting-related targeted beliefs (ORs 1.351.63) and a mental health targeted belief scale (b=1.14 (95% CI 0.69, 1.59)), relative those with no messaging awareness. The frequency of exposure to cessation messaging held a dose-response relationship with almost all outcomes. Conclusion Findings suggest that frequency and awareness of messaging that educates about e-cigarette harms to mental health and about cessation resources are associated with higher quitting intentions among young people who use e-cigarettes.

ImportanceE-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents. Despite known harms of nicotine exposure among teens, there are no empirically tested vaping cessation interventions.ObjectiveTo compare the effectiveness of a text message program for nicotine vaping cessation among adolescents with assessment-only control.Design, Setting, and ParticipantsA parallel, 2-group, double-blind, individually randomized clinical trial with follow-ups at 1 and 7 months after randomization was conducted from October 1, 2021, to October 18, 2023. Participants were recruited via social media ads; the intervention was delivered via text message; and assessments were completed online or by telephone. Eligible individuals were US residents aged 13 to 17 years who reported past 30-day e-cigarette use, were interested in quitting within 30 days, and owned a mobile phone with an active text message plan. To optimize study retention, all participants received monthly assessments via text message about e-cigarette use.InterventionsAssessment-only controls (n = 744) received only study retention text messages. Intervention participants (n = 759) also received an automated, interactive text message program for vaping cessation that delivers cognitive and behavioral coping skills training and social support.Main Outcomes and MeasuresThe primary outcome was self-reported 30-day point-prevalence abstinence from vaping at 7 months analyzed as intention-to-treat, with missingness coded as vaping.ResultsAmong n = 1503 adolescents randomized, average age was 16.4 (SD, 0.8) years. The sample was 50.6% female, 42.1% male, and 7.4% nonbinary/other; 10.2% Black/African American, 62.6% White, 18.5% multiracial, and 8.7% another race; 16.2% Hispanic; 42.5% sexual minority; and 76.2% vaped within 30 minutes of waking. The 7-month follow-up rate was 70.8%. Point-prevalence abstinence rates were 37.8% (95% CI, 34.4%-41.3%) among intervention participants and 28.0% (95% CI, 24.9%-31.3%) among control participants (relative risk, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.17-1.57]; P < .001). No baseline variables moderated the treatment-outcome relationship. There was no evidence that adolescents who quit vaping transitioned to combustible tobacco products.Conclusions and RelevanceA tailored, interactive text message intervention increased self-reported vaping cessation rates among adolescents recruited via social media channels.Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04919590

AbstractAimsTo evaluate the effectiveness of a combined internet and text message intervention for smoking cessation compared with an internet intervention alone. The text message intervention was optimized for engagement in an earlier multiphase optimization (MOST) screening phase.DesignA parallel, two‐group, individually randomized clinical trial (RCT) was conducted in a MOST confirming phase. Recruitment spanned December 2018 to March 2019. Follow‐up was conducted at 3 and 9 months, beginning March 2019 and ending January 2020.SettingUnited States: a digital study conducted among new registrants on a free tobacco cessation website.ParticipantsEligible individuals were 618 adult current smokers in the United States, age 18 years or older who signed up for text messages during website registration (67.2% female, 70.4% white).InterventionsThe treatment arm (WEB+TXT; n = 311) received access to the website and text messaging. The control arm (WEB; n = 307) received access to the website alone.MeasurementsThe primary outcome was self‐reported 30‐day point prevalence abstinence (ppa) at 9 months post‐randomization analyzed under intent to treat (ITT), counting non‐responders as smoking. Secondary outcomes included 3‐month measures of 30‐day ppa, intervention engagement and intervention satisfaction.FindingsAbstinence rates at 9 months were 23.1% among WEB+TXT and 23.2% among WEB (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.69–1.45; P = 0.99). WEB+TXT increased engagement with 5 of 6 interactive features (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.26–0.47, all P < 0.001) and repeat website visits (48.7% vs 38.9%, SMD = 0.14, P = 0.02). Satisfaction metrics favored WEB+TXT (satisfied: 96.3% vs 90.5%, SMD = 0.17, P = 0.008; recommend to friend: 95.9% vs 90.1%, SMD = 0.16, P = 0.028).ConclusionsA randomized controlled trial found no evidence that a combined internet and text message intervention for smoking cessation compared with an internet intervention alone increased 9‐month abstinence rates among adult current smokers in the United States, despite evidence of higher levels of intervention engagement and satisfaction at 3 months.

Although surgical patients who smoke could benefit from perioperative abstinence, few currently receive support. This pilot study determined the feasibility and acceptability of a perioperative text messaging smoking cessation program. One hundred patients (73% of eligible patients approached) enrolled in a surgery-specific messaging service, receiving 1–3 daily messages about smoking and surgical recovery for 30 days. Only 17 patients unenrolled, the majority responded to prompting messages, and satisfaction with the program was high. Surgical patients are amenable to text message–based interventions; a future efficacy trial of text messaging smoking cessation support in surgical patients is warranted.