A Neuroimaging Approach to Advance Mechanistic Understanding of Tobacco Use Escalation Risk Among Young Adult African American Vapers

NCT05829863 | Completed

• 1 other identifier: R21DA056570
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 24
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

60 young adult African American vapers who are not current smokers will participate in a baseline functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) experiment, with 4 weekly follow-up surveys to gauge their tobacco use behaviors following the baseline scan. Baseline fMRI tasks will probe critical neurocognitive markers with high potential to account for individual differences in nicotine use prognosis and responsiveness to anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs).

Conditions

Message Exposure

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

• Self-report smoking severity in the following month

  The weekly number of cigarettes smoked will be assessed with the timeline follow-back measures. Specifically, participants will be asked to retrospectively estimate their daily cigarette use for the 7 days prior to the weekly survey date. The four weekly estimates will be averaged to create the monthly smoking severity measure. The greater the number, the higher the smoking severity in that month.

  1 month

• Self-report vaping severity in the following month

  The weekly number of vaping sessions (a vaping session refers to a minimum of about 15 puffs or vaping that lasts around 10 minutes) will be assessed with the timeline follow-back measures. Specifically, participants will be asked to retrospectively estimate their daily vaping sessions for the 7 days prior to the weekly survey date. The four weekly estimates will be averaged to create the monthly vaping severity measure. The greater the number, the higher the vaping severity in that month.

  1 month

• Self-report vaping intention

  Right after the fMRI scan and the anti-vaping PSA exposure, participants will be asked to indciate their intention to use e-cigarette in the next week.

  1 week

Secondary Outcomes (3)

• Message effectiveness perceptions

  1 week

• Self-report other tobacco use severity in the following month

  1 month

• Self-report other substance use severity in the following month

  1 month

Study Arms (1)

Message exposure

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants will all be exposed to anti-vaping PSAs utilizing cognitive, emotional, and social appeals, aiming to persuade them to reduce or quit using e-cigarettes.

Behavioral: educational message exposure

Interventions

educational message exposure BEHAVIORAL

Exposing African American young adult vapers to persuasive anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs) with the goal of reducing their subsequent e-cigarette use.

Message exposure

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 29 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• years old
• used e-cigarettes or other vaping devices at least once during the past 30 days
• did not smoke or use cigarettes during the past 30 days
• self-identify as African American
• magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compatible and safe

You may not qualify if:

• younger than 18 years old, or older than 29 years old
• did not use e-cigarettes or other vaping devices during the past 30 days
• smoked or use cigarettes at least once during the past 30 days
• history of a major neurological, psychiatric, or medical disorder
• MRI contraindications

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Georgia: lead

Study Sites (1)

UGA Bio-imaging Research Center

Athens, Georgia, 30602, United States

Location

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Masking Details: The participants will be prevented from knowing the different message appeals to which they are exposed.
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Model Details: During the baseline fMRI scan, participants will be exposed to anti-vaping public service announcements (PSAs) utilizing cognitive, emotional and social appeals to address the negative consequences of vaping.

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: April 13, 2023
• First Posted: April 26, 2023
• Study Start: May 1, 2023
• Primary Completion: May 31, 2025
• Study Completion: May 31, 2025
• Last Updated: September 23, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)