Influencer E-Cigarette and Cannabis Marketing: a Survey-Based Experiment Among Adolescents

NCT06919263 | Completed

• 2 other identifiers: HS-19-00682-AM016T33DT6620
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 1,462
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Adolescent non-users of e-cigarettes and cannabis (N = 1,462) participated in the in-class survey-based experiment. They were randomly shown 3 pairs of images featuring influencers promoting e-cigarettes alongside cannabis, (experimental group), or no-substance use or display (placebo treatment), or e-cigarette promotion alone (control). After viewing each pair of images, participants rated perceptions of influencer credibility (i.e., honesty, trustworthiness, knowledge) on the scale of 0 (e.g., dishonest) to 100 (honest). Susceptibility to use e-cigarettes was assessed after participants viewed all the images. These outcomes were then compared among participants who perceived influencers as credible and those who perceived influencers as non-credible.

Conditions

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (2)

• Perceptions of influencer credibility

  Perceptions of influencer credibility (i.e., honesty, trustworthiness, knowledge) were assessed using a 0 (e.g., dishonest) -100 (e.g., honest) scale that has been validated in prior research.

  assessed during the ~ 30-minute experiment, immediately after each of the three pairs of influencer images

• Susceptibility to use e-cigarettes

  Susceptibility to use e-cigarettes was measured using the validated three-item scale adapted from Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH), and combined into one variable (α=0.93). Consistent with prior research, the measure was dichotomized with responses "definitely not" to all items being coded as "not susceptible" and responses "probably not," "probably yes", or "definitely yes" being coded as "susceptible."

  one-time assessment after the experimental exposure (immediately post-treatment)

Study Arms (3)

Experimental group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Images featuring influencers promoting e-cigarettes alongside cannabis

Behavioral: Influencer marketing

Placebo group

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Images featuring neutral profiles of influencers not using or displaying any substances

Behavioral: Influencer marketing

Control

ACTIVE COMPARATOR

Images featuring influencers promoting e-cigarettes alone

Behavioral: Influencer marketing

Interventions

Influencer marketing BEHAVIORAL

Participants viewed survey-imbedded promotional images featuring influencers

Control; Experimental group; Placebo group

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 16 Years - 17 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Child (0-17)

You may qualify if:

• English fluency,
• Current California resident.

You may not qualify if:

• Not meeting these criteria:
• English fluency,
• Current California resident.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University of Southern California: lead

Study Sites (1)

University of Southern California

Los Angeles, California, 90032, United States

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Vaping

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Smoking; Behavior

Study Officials

• Gina Klemm

  University of Southern California

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

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

Model Details: Images featuring influencers promoting e-cigarettes alongside cannabis products

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: March 20, 2025
• First Posted: April 9, 2025
• Study Start: September 25, 2023
• Primary Completion: November 30, 2023
• Study Completion: November 30, 2023
• Last Updated: April 9, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-03

Locations

US (1)