The goal of this study is to modify a smoking prevention program for 5th and 6th grade students to also target vaping e-cigarettes. Aims were to modify the program along with associated materials and to conduct a trial with 5th grade students in the school setting to see how well the updated program worked. Students either participated in the four-week computer based program or continued with their usual tobacco prevention curriculum. This study showed that students who received the computer program reduced their intentions and willingness to use e-cigarettes or smoke in the future more than did students who used their usual tobacco curriculum.
Given the increase in prevalence of e-cigarette use among youth, investigators modified a smoking prevention program to not only target smoking but also vaping e-cigarettes. Investigators conducted a pragmatic randomized trial with 5th grade students in schools across Arizona and Oregon to evaluate the effectiveness of the updated program in a "real-world" setting. Forty-five schools were randomized to the intervention condition, wherein students used the updated version of Click City®: Tobacco, or the control condition, wherein students were taught their usual tobacco prevention curriculum. Students in the intervention schools decreased their intentions and willingness to use e-cigarettes and cigarettes significantly, as compared to students in control schools. The intervention also significantly changed all etiological mechanisms. The effects on all outcomes of the intervention were similar as a function of state (Arizona vs Oregon), gender, ethnicity (Hispanic vs not Hispanic), and historical timing (prior to school closures in 2020 vs after schools re-opened in 2022). The intervention was also more effective for at-risk students, as defined by student's previous tobacco use, current family use and/or high in sensation seeking. Close to 90% of the students completed the entire program, and most completed it in 3 to 4 weeks, the expected time frame. The effectiveness of the updated Click City®: Tobacco was demonstrated in a "real world" setting and findings suggested that all students can potentially benefit from the program.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
PREVENTION
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
2,673
A computer-based program assigned to students designed to prevent subsequent tobacco use. Students complete one 15 to 20 minute lesson two times a week for four weeks.
Students complete their usual curriculum designed to prevent tobacco use.
Oregon Research Behavioral Intervention Strategies, Inc.
Springfield, Oregon, United States
Change in Behavioral Intentions to Vape E-cigarettes
Measured by two items, assessing the student's intentions regarding vaping e-cigarettes as a teen or as a grown-up. Responses were on a five-point scale ranging from "definitely not" (1) to "definitely will" (5). The scale was created by summing the two items with potential range from 2 to 10. A higher score means a worse outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six months
Change in Behavioral Intentions to Smoke Cigarettes
Measured by two items assessing the student's intentions to smoke cigarettes as a teen or as a grown-up. Responses were on a five-point scale ranging from "definitely not" (1) to "definitely will" (5). The scale was created by summing the two items with a potential range from 2 to 10. A higher score means a worse outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Willingness to Vape E-cigarettes
Measured by four items, assessing the student's willingness to vape e-cigarettes if the opportunity presented itself (with a group of kids with e-cigaretes available and with kids who are vaping and you want to be a part of the group. Willingness to vape was assessed for two levels, "try a few vapes" and "try vaping several times in a row". Responses were on a five point scale, "not at all willing" (1) to "very willing" (5) and were summed for the two scenarios and two levels, yielding a scale from 4 to 20. A higher score means a worse outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Willingness to Smoke Cigarettes
Measured by four items, assessing the student's willingness to smoke cigarettes if the opportunity presented itself ("with a group of kids with cigarettes available" and "with kids who are smoking and you want to be a part of the group". Willingness to smoke was assessed for two levels, "try a few puffs" and "smoking the whole cigarette". Responses were on a five point scale, "not at all willing" (1) to "very willing" (5) and were summed for the two scenarios and two levels, yielding a scale from 4 to 20. A higher score means a worse outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Favorable Social Images of Smokers
Students rate what they "think kids who smoke are like" using a three-point rating scale from "not at all like this" (1) to "very much like this" (3) to rate three attributes, "popular", "cool or neat" and "exciting". The three attributes are summed and the potential score goes from 3 to 9. A higher score means a worse outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Favorable Social Images of E-cigarette Vapers
Students rate what they "think kids who vape e-carettes are like" using a three-point rating scale using "not at all like this" (1) to "very much like this" (3) to rate three attributes, "popular", "cool or neat" and "exciting". The three attributes are summed and the potential score ranges from 3 to 9. A higher score means a worse outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Normative Social Images of Smokers
Students rate what they "think other 5th grade kids think kids who smoke cigarettes are like" using a three-point rating scale using "not at all like this" (1) to "very much like this" (3) to rate three attributes, "popular", "cool or neat" and "exciting". The three attributes are summed and the potential score ranges from 3 to 9. A higher score means a worse outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Normative Social Images of Vapers
Students rate what they "think other 5th grade kids think kids who vape e-cigarettes are like" using a three-point rating scale using "not at all like this" (1) to "very much like this" (3) to rate three attributes, "popular", "cool or neat" and "exciting". The three attributes are summed and the potential score ranges from 3 to 9. A higher score means a worse outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Friends Approval of Smoking
Students indicated their perception of friends' approval of their smoking of each of three levels of cigarettes, trying, smoking a few, and smoking a few a day. Responses to each item ranged from "yes" (1) to "no" (3). Summing the three levels ranged from 3 to 9, with a higher score means a better outcome.
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Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Friends Approval of Vaping
Students indicated their perception of friends' approval of their vaping of each of three levels of cigarettes, trying, vaping a few, and vaping a few a day. Responses to each item ranged from "yes" (1) to "no" (3). Summing the three levels ranged from 3 to 9, with a higher score indicating a better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Second-hand Smoke Exposure
Perception of the risk of getting four diseases ("breathing problems", "asthma", "ear infections" "heart disease", and "lung disease or cancer") as a result of being "often around someone who smokes". Responses for each disease are on a five point scale ranging from "no chance" (1) to "certain to happen" (5). Items were summed to form a scale. The total scale of five items ranged from 4 to 20. A higher score means a better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Second-hand Vape Exposure
Perception of the risk of getting each of four diseases ("breathing problems", "asthma", "ear infections" , and "lung disease or cancer") as a result of being "often around someone who vapes". Responses for each disease are on a five point scale ranging from "no chance" (1) to "certain to happen" (5). Items were summed to form a scale. The total scale of four items ranged from 4 to 20. The follow-up measure was subtracted from the baseline measure, with a higher score indicating a favorable outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Cumulative Consequences of Smoking
Perception of risk of getting three diseases (lung cancer, serious breathing diseases, and heart disease) as a result of three levels of cigarettes, "one", "a few cigarettes a day for two years", "a pack of cigarettes a day for two years". Responses for each disease and each level ranged from "no chance" (1) to "certain to happen" (5). Items were summed to form a scale. The total scale of nine items ranged from 9 to 45. A higher score means a better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Cumulative Consequences of Vaping
Perception of risk of getting three diseases (lung cancer, serious breathing diseases, and heart disease) as a result of three levels of e-cigarettes, "one time", "a few times a day for two years", "Twenty or more times a day for two years'. Responses for each disease and each level ranged from "no chance" (1) to "certain to happen" (5). Items were summed to form a scale. The total scale of nine items ranged from 9 to 45. A higher score means a better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Smoking Each Cigarette
Risk of smoking each cigarette was measured by two items indicating what would happen to a 12 year old who started smoking, "every cigarette smoked hurts them a bit" and "The very next cigarette probably won't hurt their bodies". The response scale was a five-point scale ranging from "strongly agree" (1) to "strongly disagree" (5). The scale consisted of summing both items with the former item reversed scored. Scale scores ranged from 2 to 10. A higher score indicated a more favorable outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Vaping Each E-cigarette
Risk of vaping each e-cigarette was measured by two items indicating what would happen to a 12 year old who started vaping, "every e-cigarette vaped hurts them a bit" and "the very next e-cigarette probably won't hurt their bodies". The response scale was a five-point scale ranging from "strongly agree" (1) to "strongly disagree" (5). The scale consisted of summing both items with the former item reversed scored. Scale scores ranged from 2 to 10. A higher score indicated a more better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Addiction From Smoking
Change in perception of risk of getting addicted to smoking as a result of five levels of smoking, ranging from "one time" to a "a pack of cigarettes a day for five years". Responses for each level were on a five-point scale ranging from "no chance" (1) to "certain to happen" (5). Items were summed to form a scale. The total scale of the five items ranged from 5 to 25. A higher score means a better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Addiction From Vaping
Perception of risk of getting addicted to vaping as a result of vaping five levels of increasing quantities of e-cigarettes, ranging from "one time" to a "20 times a day for 5 years". Responses for each level were on a five-point scale ranging from "no chance" (1) to "certain to happen" (5). Items were summed to form a scale. The total scale ranged from 5 to 25. A higher score means a better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Control Over Quitting Smoking
Students answered "how much control do you think you would have over quitting smoking" using a four-point response scale ranging from "no control" (1) to "total control" (4). Perception of control was indicated within four levels of increasing quantities of cigarettes, ranging from "tried a cigarette" to "a pack a day for five years". The four Items were summed to form a scale with the total scale ranging from 4 to 16. A higher score means a worse outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Control Over Vaping
Students answered "how much control do you think you would have over quitting vaping e-cigarettes" using a four-point response scale ranging from "no control" (1) to "total control" (4). Students indicated thier perception of control within each of four levels of increasing quantities of e-cigarettes, ranging from "tried vaping" to "20 times a day for five years". The four Items were summed to form a scale with the total scale ranging from 4 to 16. A lower score indicated a better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Difficulty Quitting Smoking
Perception of risk of difficulty quitting smoking as a result of vaping five levels of increasing quantities of cigarettes smoked, ranging from "one cigarette" to a " a pack of cigarettes a day for 5 years". Responses for each level were on a five-point scale ranging from "Very easy" (1) to "Very difficult" (5). Items were summed to form a scale. The total scale ranged from 5 to 25. A higher score meant a better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks
Change in Perception of Risk of Difficulty Quitting Vaping
Perception of risk of difficulty of quitting vaping as a result of vaping five levels of increasing quantities of e-cigarettes vaped, ranging from "one time" to a " 20 times a day for 5 years". Responses for each level were on a five-point scale ranging from "Very easy" (1) to "Very difficult" (5). Items were summed to form a scale. The total scale ranged from 5 to 25. A higher score means a better outcome.
Time frame: baseline; six weeks