Trial on the Effect of E-cigarette Advertising on Cigarette Perceptions in Adolescents

NCT03786042 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: D190341R21CA232054-01
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 139
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This research aims to investigate how exposure to advertising for Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (commonly called e-cigarettes) may lead to combustible smoking initiation in adolescents.

Conditions

Attentional Bias; Smoking Cues; Positive Perceptions About Cigarette Smoking; Social Norms; Smoking Susceptibility

Keywords

Positive Smoking expectancies; e-cigarette advertising; adolescents

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Implicit Positive Smoking Expectancies, Measured by the Implicit Association Test

  Scores are measured by recording the amount of time (milliseconds) it takes to categorize smoking-related words with positive (e.g., cool) and negative (e.g., cancer) words. Faster reaction times when categorizing smoking-related words with positive words is evidence of higher positive smoking expectancies.

  within 5 minutes post intervention

• Amount of Time Spent Looking at Static Smoking Cues in E-cigarette Advertisements

  Eye-tracking will be used to measure the amount of time (milliseconds) spent looking at static smoking cues in screen shots taken from e-cigarette advertisements. The amount time spent looking at a smoking cue is a measure how much attention was given to the smoking cue. The longer the looking time, the greater amount of attention.

  approximately 30 minutes post intervention

• Implicit Positive Vaping Expectancies, Measured by the Implicit Association Test

  Scores are measured by recording the amount of time (milliseconds) it takes to categorize vaping-related words with positive (e.g., cool) and negative (e.g., cancer) words. Faster reaction times when categorizing smoking-related words with positive words is evidence of higher positive smoking expectancies.

  within 5 minutes post intervention

Study Arms (2)

E-cigarette ad exposure

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants in the e-cigarette ad exposure condition will view e-cigarette ads on the computer screen while having their eye movements tracked

Behavioral: E-cigarette ad exposure

non e-cigarette ad exposure

SHAM COMPARATOR

Participants in the non e-cigarette ad exposure condition will view non e-cigarette ads on the computer screen while having their eye movements tracked

Other: non e-cigarette TV commercials

Interventions

E-cigarette ad exposure BEHAVIORAL

Participants view a series of e-cigarette TV commercials

E-cigarette ad exposure

non e-cigarette TV commercials OTHER

Participants view a series of non e-cigarette TV commercials

non e-cigarette ad exposure

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 14 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Trustees of Dartmouth College: lead
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): collaborator
• Dartmouth College: collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Dartmouth-Hithchock Medical Center

Lebanon, New Hampshire, 03756, United States

Location

Related Publications (54)

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Results Point of Contact

• Title: Research Scientist
• Organization: Dartmouth college

john.brand@dartmouth.edu

603-646-5408

Study Officials

• James Sargent, MD

  Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

• Diane Gilbert-Diamond, ScD

  Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth College

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: Yes

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: PARTICIPANT
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: FACTORIAL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: December 20, 2018
• First Posted: December 24, 2018
• Study Start: February 4, 2019
• Primary Completion: December 9, 2021
• Study Completion: December 9, 2021
• Last Updated: September 26, 2025
• Results First Posted: September 26, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)