A Smartphone Application (ACT on Vaping) for Vaping Cessation in Young Adults

NCT05897242 | Completed Results

• 3 other identifiers: RG1122763NCI-2022-10010UG3DA057032
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 61
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Almost one in ten young adults report current e-cigarette use, putting them at risk of developing nicotine addiction and long-term health effects of exposure to inhaled toxicants. Despite the need for effective treatments to help these young users quit, very few treatments targeting any type of tobacco use among young adults have been evaluated, particularly for young adults who vape and have unique treatment needs. To address these needs, this trial will evaluate a digital program for young adult e-cigarette users at all stages of readiness to quit called ACT on Vaping.

Conditions

Nicotine Dependence; Nicotine Addiction; Nicotine Use Disorder; Nicotine Vaping; Vaping

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (4)

• Overall Treatment Satisfaction Rating

  We calculated descriptive statistics (mean, standard deviation) for the primary acceptability benchmark of overall satisfaction averaging at least 3.5 on a 1-5 Likert-type scale within the ACT on Vaping arm only. Overall satisfaction was assessed with a 5-point Likert-type item on the 3-month follow-up survey, with response options ranging from (1) "not at all" to (5) "very much." The ACT on Vaping benchmark average of 3.5 falls between ratings of 3="somewhat" and 4="mostly." Higher values are associated with a higher level of satisfaction.

  At 3 months post-randomization

• Change in Readiness to Quit

  Will evaluate differences of Contemplation Ladder scores. The 1-item Contemplation Ladder, scores range from 0-10, was used to assess readiness to quit using e-cigarettes. The higher the score, the more ready the person is to make a change. The anchor for the cut-off score of 5, indicating high vs. low quit readiness, is "Think I should quit but not quite ready."

  From baseline to 3 months post-randomization

• Percentage of Participants With a 24-hour Quit Attempt

  Making a 24-hour quit attempt between baseline and 3-month follow-up was assessed via self-report at the 3-month follow-up survey. The percentage of participants with self-reported 24-hour quit attempts is evaluated descriptively.

  At 3 months post-randomization

• Cotinine-confirmed 30-day Point Prevalence Abstinence From All Nicotine and Tobacco

  Complete case, self-reported 30-day abstinence from all nicotine and tobacco products at 3 months, confirmed via saliva cotinine testing. Differences were evaluated descriptively.

  At 3 months post-randomization

Study Arms (2)

Arm I (Act on Vaping app)

EXPERIMENTAL

Participants receive supportive messages and use the ACT on Vaping smartphone app. They also receive incentivized text message check-ins assessing their vaping status.

Behavioral: Smartphone app; Other: Text Message; Other: Survey Administration

Arm II (Incentivized text message check-ins)

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Participants receive incentivized text messages check-ins assessing their vaping status.

Other: Text Message; Other: Survey Administration

Interventions

Smartphone app BEHAVIORAL

Use ACT on Vaping smartphone app

Also known as: ACT on Vaping

Arm I (Act on Vaping app)

Text Message OTHER

Receive text messages

Also known as: SMS Text

Arm I (Act on Vaping app); Arm II (Incentivized text message check-ins)

Survey Administration OTHER

Ancillary studies

Arm I (Act on Vaping app); Arm II (Incentivized text message check-ins)

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 30 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64)

You may qualify if:

• Age 18-30.
• Current weekly user of e-cigarette product(s).
• Owns an Android phone or iPhone.
• Has an email address.
• United States (US) resident, with a US mailing address.
• Willing to complete all study procedures.

You may not qualify if:

• Currently using other tobacco cessation treatments at the time of screening, including pharmacotherapy or behavioral support (note: use of these treatments is allowable during trial participation).
• Member of the same household as another research participant.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center: lead
• National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium

Seattle, Washington, 98109, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Tobacco Use Disorder; Vaping

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Substance-Related Disorders; Chemically-Induced Disorders; Mental Disorders; Smoking; Behavior

Limitations and Caveats

A limitation of this study is the small sample size, which, while appropriate for a pilot study, does not allow for a definitive evaluation of acceptability or efficacy and limits the generalizability of the findings. Additionally, the cotinine testing for biochemical verification of abstinence was not directly observed, leaving open the possibility that the test could have been completed by someone other than the participant.

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Jaimee Heffner, Associate Professor
• Organization: Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center

jheffner@fredhutch.org

2066677314

Study Officials

• Jaimee Heffner

  Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Publication Agreements

• PI is Sponsor Employee: No
• Restrictive Agreement: No

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Masking Details: Any outcome evaluator who has direct contact with participants will be blinded to treatment assignment.
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Associate Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: May 31, 2023
• First Posted: June 9, 2023
• Study Start: January 4, 2024
• Primary Completion: April 26, 2024
• Study Completion: April 26, 2024
• Last Updated: June 24, 2025
• Results First Posted: June 6, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-06

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)