NCT07543081

Brief Summary

Our study tests a multi-level anti- disinformation message (ADM) campaign on menthol cigarette and flavored cigar policies in Black adults.

Trial Health

63
Monitor

Trial Health Score

Automated assessment based on enrollment pace, timeline, and geographic reach

Enrollment
1,000

participants targeted

Target at P75+ for not_applicable

Timeline
17mo left

Started Sep 2026

Geographic Reach
1 country

1 active site

Status
not yet recruiting

Health score is calculated from publicly available data and should be used for screening purposes only.

Trial Relationships

Click on a node to explore related trials.

Study Timeline

Key milestones and dates

First Submitted

Initial submission to the registry

April 15, 2026

Completed
6 days until next milestone

First Posted

Study publicly available on registry

April 21, 2026

Completed
4 months until next milestone

Study Start

First participant enrolled

September 1, 2026

Expected
1.4 years until next milestone

Primary Completion

Last participant's last visit for primary outcome

January 31, 2028

Same day until next milestone

Study Completion

Last participant's last visit for all outcomes

January 31, 2028

Last Updated

May 5, 2026

Status Verified

April 1, 2026

Enrollment Period

1.4 years

First QC Date

April 15, 2026

Last Update Submit

April 29, 2026

Conditions

DisinformationMenthol CigarettesFlavored Cigars

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (3)

  • Proportion of participants with specific tobacco industry beliefs

    Beliefs items address tobacco industry behaviors, including funding Black community organizations, paying Black lobbyists to oppose public health policies, and targeting Black and African American communities with menthol cigarette and flavored cigar marketing.

    3, 6, 9, 12 months

  • Knowledge about menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars

    Items address prevalence of menthol cigarette and flavored cigar use in Black and African Americans and role of menthol/flavors in tobacco initiation, progression, and cessation.

    3, 6, 9, 12 months

  • Knowledge of flavored tobacco policies

    Items address the public health purpose and limits of flavored tobacco policies.

    3, 6, 9, 12 months

Secondary Outcomes (1)

  • Intention to support flavored tobacco policies

    3, 6, 9, 12 months

Study Arms (4)

Individual-level intervention + Community-level intervention

EXPERIMENTAL
Behavioral: Individual delivery of anti-disinformation messagingBehavioral: Community delivery of anti-disinformation messaging

Individual-level control + Community-level intervention

EXPERIMENTAL
Behavioral: Community delivery of anti-disinformation messaging

Individual-level intervention + Community-level control

EXPERIMENTAL
Behavioral: Individual delivery of anti-disinformation messaging

Individual-level control + Community-level control

NO INTERVENTION

Interventions

Individual delivery of anti-disinformation messagingBEHAVIORAL

Participants in this condition will be exposed to anti-disinformation messages (ADM) designed to increase correct beliefs about menthol cigarettes, flavored cigars, the purpose, and limits of flavored tobacco policies. The delayed intervention control condition in this study will receive the ADM intervention after outcome measures are collected at the last assessment.

Individual-level intervention + Community-level controlIndividual-level intervention + Community-level intervention
Community delivery of anti-disinformation messagingBEHAVIORAL

Our community-level campaign will distribute our ADM messages to our Intervention Community via social media, print ads and posters, radio ads, and community events. These messages will be delivered over 1 year, with monthly delivery activities led by EAB members in the Intervention Community.

Individual-level control + Community-level interventionIndividual-level intervention + Community-level intervention

Eligibility Criteria

Age18 Years+
Sexall
Healthy VolunteersYes
Age GroupsAdult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

  • African American or Black adults
  • Aged 18+
  • Reside in Atlanta, GA or Birmingham, AL
  • Able to read and speak English
  • Willing to engage in all online study activities including online quarterly surveys over a 12-month period.

Contact the study team to confirm eligibility.

Sponsors & Collaborators

Study Sites (1)

Rutgers University

New Brunswick, New Jersey, 08901, United States

Location

Related Publications (4)

  • Ganz O, Villanti AC, Altunbilek A, Johnson A, Garmon J, Wackowski OA, Sterling KL. Tobacco Company Efforts to Persuade Consumers to Fight the Proposed Federal Menthol Cigarette and Flavored Cigar Bans in the United States. Am J Public Health. 2025 Aug;115(8):1206-1210. doi: 10.2105/AJPH.2025.308116. No abstract available.

    PMID: 40633013BACKGROUND

  • Wackowski OA, Garmon J, Altunbilek A, Johnson A, Ganz O, Ntansah CA, Fryer CS, Villanti AC, Sterling KL. News Coverage of the Proposed Menthol Cigarette Ban in the United States (2022-2024) - a Content Analysis. Nicotine Tob Res. 2026 Feb 18:ntag036. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntag036. Online ahead of print.

    PMID: 41705314BACKGROUND

  • Garmon J, Sterling K, Wackowski OA, Ganz O, Allem JP, Villanti AC. Funding without transparency? Tobacco company support of Black-owned businesses in the USA. Tob Control. 2024 Nov 19:tc-2024-058721. doi: 10.1136/tc-2024-058721. Online ahead of print. No abstract available.

    PMID: 39561998BACKGROUND

  • Sterling KL, Ganz O, Wackowski OA, Glasser AM, Villanti AC. Widespread Misperceptions Among U.S. Adults About Tobacco Company Engagement in Black and African American Communities. Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Mar 24;27(4):741-747. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntae066.

    PMID: 38692654BACKGROUND

Related Links

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Disinformation

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

DeceptionSocial BehaviorBehavior

Study Officials

  • Andrea C Villanti, PhD, MPH

    Rutgers University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

  • Kymberle L Sterling, DrPH

    Rutgers University

    PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Central Study Contacts

Study Coordinator

CONTACT

732-331-0626unvarnished@ints.rutgers.edu

Study Design

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

Study Record Dates

First Submitted

April 15, 2026

First Posted

April 21, 2026

Study Start (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

January 31, 2028

Study Completion (Estimated)

January 31, 2028

Last Updated

May 5, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-04

Data Sharing

IPD Sharing
Will share

Deidentified survey responses from participants enrolled in the clinical trial.

Shared Documents
STUDY PROTOCOL
Time Frame
IPD and supporting information will be available approximately 12 months following the end of data collection or publication of the main study outcomes.
Access Criteria
Study data will be deposited in the NAHDAP data repository hosted at the ICPSR and will be available to the research community in perpetuity. Datasets underlying methodological publications will be shared at or prior to initial publication date.

Locations

US(1)