NCT05714982

Impact of E-cigarette Device Warnings

Randomized Clinical Trial Evaluating the Impact of E-cigarette Device Warnings

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 1,369 (actual)
• Sponsor: UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 21 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Accepted

Summary

The purpose of this randomized clinical trial is to determine whether e-cigarette warnings increase intentions to quit vaping without the unintended consequence of pushing users toward smoking. This trial addresses these issues by evaluating the impact of e-cigarette warnings by randomly assigning vapers to have their devices and refills labeled with control messages, text warnings, or pictorial warnings. Participants will be US adult (ages 21+) vapers. The trial expects \~1,200 participants to complete Visits 1, 3, and 5.

Detailed description

This trial will assess the impact of e-cigarette warnings on vapers' devices and refills in a randomized clinical trial. Recruitment: Vapers will first undergo screening online or call the study center to complete the screening survey over the phone. Trial staff will schedule eligible vapers for 2 in-person visits. For each of the 2 visits, vapers will be asked to bring the vapes and refill materials they plan to use over the next 2 weeks. Informed Consent: Prior to consenting vapers, trial staff will visually inspect photo identification of vapers to confirm that they are 21 years or older. At the beginning of the first appointment, trial staff will explain the consent form and ask the vaper to read the form. Once the participant has finished reading the form, the trial staff member will ask the participant if he or she has any questions. Then both parties will sign the consent form and the participant will receive a copy of the consent form. Randomization: At the first visit, trial staff will randomly assign participants to one of the three trial arms by using Qualtrics software. Vapers have an equal chance of being randomized to have labels with control, text, or pictorial warnings. Assessment: Participants will attend 2 in-person appointments at the study office (at Visit 1 and Visit 3 that are spaced 2 weeks apart). The visits will last about 45-60 minutes. At Visit 1 participants will take a survey, have their vape device and refills labeled based on their trial arm, and take another survey. At Visit 3, participants take a survey and have their vape device and refills labeled based on their trial arm. Participants will also be e-mailed 3 more surveys to complete online at home (taken at Visit 2, 4, and 5). Thus participants will take 5 weekly surveys overall. Detailed description of the intervention: At each in-person appointment, participants will bring in the vapes and refills they plan to use over the next 2 weeks for labeling. While participants are taking the survey, trial staff will label the devices and refills based on their trial arm. Participants randomized to the text warning arm will have labels with information about the health harms of vaping applied to their vapes and refills. Participants randomized to the pictorial arm will have labels with pictorial images and text about the health harms of vaping. Participants assigned to the control arm will have labels with neutral statements about vaping. Each trial arm will have four labels (two labels for Visit 1 and two additional labels for Visit 3). Trial staff will return labeled vapes and refills in a clear plastic bag with the e-cigarette warning labels applied to a card. Trial investigators developed the text, images, and design of these labels. The trial staff will instruct participants in all trial arms to vape or not vape as they normally would. At the end of the trial, participants will receive a link to more information about the risks of vaping and tobacco use.

Conditions

• Vaping Behaviors

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Label with text health warning	Labels with e-cigarette health warning that include text about health harms of vaping will be applied to participants' vaping devices and refills. At Visit 1, devices and refills will be labeled with 2 warnings based on their assigned trial arm; at Visit 3, they will get 2 additional warnings based on their assigned trial arm. The order of the 4 labels within this trial arm will be randomized using a Latin square design. Study investigators developed the text and design of these labels.
OTHER	Label with pictorial health warning	Labels with e-cigarette health warning that include the same text about health harms of vaping and corresponding pictorial images will be applied to participants' vaping devices and refills. At Visit 1, devices and refills will be labeled with 2 warnings based on their assigned trial arm; at Visit 3, they will get 2 additional warnings based on their assigned trial arm. The order of the 4 labels within this trial arm will be randomized using a Latin square design. Study investigators developed the text and design of these labels.
OTHER	Label with neutral statements about vaping	Labels with neutral statements about vaping will be applied to participants' vaping devices and refills. At Visit 1, devices and refills will be labeled with 2 statements based on their assigned trial arm; at Visit 3, they will get 2 additional statements based on their assigned trial arm. The order of the 4 labels within this trial arm will be randomized using a Latin square design. Study investigators developed the text and design of these labels.

Timeline

• Start date: 2023-02-23
• Primary completion: 2024-07-23
• Completion: 2024-07-23
• First posted: 2023-02-06
• Last updated: 2025-09-12
• Results posted: 2025-09-12

Locations

1 site across 1 country: United States