Our study tests a multi-level anti- disinformation message (ADM) campaign on menthol cigarette and flavored cigar policies in Black adults.
This study uses a prospective, randomized factorial trial design to evaluate delivery of anti-disinformation messaging (ADM) on Black adults' receptivity to flavored tobacco policies, beliefs about the tobacco industry, and beliefs about menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars. Eligible, consenting participants will complete the baseline survey, providing sociodemographic information and baseline measures of study outcomes. Participants will then be randomized, stratified by study site (Atlanta, GA or Birmingham, AL), in a 1:1 ratio within the survey platform to either the individually-delivered ADM intervention or control condition. Participants in the intervention condition (Intervention-I) will receive their first exposure to the ADM intervention at the end of baseline survey. At follow-up assessments (3-months, 6-months, 9-months, 12-months), all participants will complete study measures and at 3-, 6-, and 9-month follow-up assessments, Intervention-I participants will be exposed to the ADM intervention at the end of the survey. Six months after our first enrollment in the trial, Atlanta will receive the community-delivered ADM intervention, while Birmingham serves as the control community. Community partners in Atlanta, our Intervention Community (Intervention-C), will disseminate our ADM intervention messages through their community networks for 12 months, overlapping at least six months with the delivery of the individual-level intervention (Intervention-I) in our enrolled participants. Upon completion of the final assessment (12-month follow-up), all participants will be exposed to the ADM intervention within the survey platform and asked to complete measures on perceived message effectiveness and credibility of the study messages.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
BASIC_SCIENCE
Masking
NONE
Enrollment
1,000
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.
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.
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
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.
Time frame: 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.
Time frame: 3, 6, 9, 12 months
Knowledge of flavored tobacco policies
Items address the public health purpose and limits of flavored tobacco policies.
Time frame: 3, 6, 9, 12 months
Intention to support flavored tobacco policies
Items address plans to support local, state, and federal policies regarding flavored tobacco products.
Time frame: 3, 6, 9, 12 months
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