High Impact E-cigarette Advertisement Features

NCT06704295 | Completed Results

• 2 other identifiers: Pro2024002290R00CA242589
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 3,083
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

This randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effects of high-impact e-cigarette advertisement features among young adults of various tobacco-use statuses. Previous research on examining the effects of e-cigarette advertisement features found that flavor-related features (e.g., flavor-associated product color, name and image, flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim) may have the largest impact on shaping young adults' perceptions and use intentions of e-cigarettes. No research so far has solely focused on examining the effects of those high-impact flavor-related advertisement features. The present study assessed the effects of high-impact flavor-related advertisement features, including flavor descriptor name, e-cigarette product color (which indicates flavors), flavor-related image, flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim on perceptions and behavioral intentions among a large online sample of young adults aged 18-30 who either smoke cigarettes or do not use tobacco products. The study is a six-group RCT with parallel assignments that will be delivered through an online self-administered questionnaire consisting of one session. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of six trial arms: 1) dark gray product with tobacco flavor name, 2) dark gray product with strawberry flavor name, 3) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, 4) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image, 5) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and 6) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim. Participants will be exposed to one advertisement corresponding to the assigned condition, and answer survey questions immediately after message exposure.

Conditions

Vaping Behavior

Keywords

E-cigarette advertisement; Vaping; Complete switching; Cigarette smoking cessation; Young adults; E-cigarette marketing; Tobacco policy

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Intentions of Using the E-cigarette

  A single item measuring the intentions of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely).

  Immediately after exposure

• Intentions of Switching Completely to the E-cigarette

  A single item measuring participants' intentions of switching completely to the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely). This question is only asked among those who smoke cigarettes.

  Immediately after exposure

Secondary Outcomes (5)

• Intentions of Using the E-cigarette Compared to Cigarettes

  Immediately after exposure

• Intentions of Using the E-cigarette Compared to Other E-cigarettes

  Immediately after exposure

• Ad Appeal

  Immediately after exposure

• Perceived Absolute Harm of Using the E-cigarette

  Immediately after exposure

• Perceived Absolute Addictiveness of Using the E-cigarette

  Immediately after exposure

Other Outcomes (3)

• Sensory Appeal of the E-cigarette

  Immediately after exposure

• Positive Expectancy of Using the E-cigarette

  Immediately after exposure

• Negative Expectancy of Using the E-cigarette

  Immediately after exposure

Study Arms (6)

Control ad: Dark gray product with tobacco flavor name

OTHER

Behavioral: Control ad with dark gray product with tobacco flavor name

Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image

EXPERIMENTAL

Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and image

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features

EXPERIMENTAL

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name + strawberry image + strawberry flavor sensation descriptor

Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claim

EXPERIMENTAL

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name + strawberry image + strawberry flavor sensation descriptor + flavor choice claim

Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claim

Interventions

Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name BEHAVIORAL

The e-cigarette ad with a dark gray product with a strawberry flavor name

Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name BEHAVIORAL

The e-cigarette ad with a colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features BEHAVIORAL

The e-cigarette advertisement with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, and strawberry flavor sensation descriptor

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claim BEHAVIORAL

The e-cigarette ad with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claim

Control ad with dark gray product with tobacco flavor name BEHAVIORAL

The e-cigarette ad with a dark gray product with a tobacco flavor name

Control ad: Dark gray product with tobacco flavor name

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and image BEHAVIORAL

The e-cigarette ad with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image

Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image

Eligibility Criteria

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

You may qualify if:

• Three groups of young adult subjects will be included in the study. The first group is those who are exclusive cigarette smokers (n=1000), defined as those who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and have smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days but have not used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. The second group is those who are dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes (n=1000). Those in this group have smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and have smoked a cigarette and also used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days. The third group is those who are non-tobacco users (n=1000), defined as those who have never used any tobacco product before or have never "regularly" used tobacco products before and are currently not using any tobacco products (in the past 30 days).

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey: lead
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): collaborator

Study Sites (1)

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Vaping; Tobacco Use Cessation

Interventions

Pharmaceutical Preparations

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Smoking; Behavior; Health Behavior

Results Point of Contact

• Title: Dr. Chen-Sankey
• Organization: Rutgers University School of Public Health

jc.sankey@rutgers.edu

8389321855

Publication Agreements

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

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: PREVENTION
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Assistant Professor

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: November 22, 2024
• First Posted: November 26, 2024
• Study Start: December 17, 2024
• Primary Completion: February 10, 2025
• Study Completion: February 10, 2025
• Last Updated: March 9, 2026
• Results First Posted: March 9, 2026

Record last verified: 2025-12

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

US (1)