Quitline-Based Young Adult Vaping Cessation: A Randomized Clinical Trial Examining NRT and mHealth

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Behavioral Science
• Digital Health

Background:

• Effective interventions for e-cigarette cessation are crucial for young adults.
• Young adult vaping presents a significant public health challenge requiring innovative solutions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of a mobile health (mHealth) program and nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) for young adult vaping cessation.
• To compare the effectiveness of different intervention components within a remote, randomized clinical trial.

Main Methods:

• Recruited 508 young adults (aged 18-24) via social media for a remote randomized trial.
• Interventions included coaching calls, mailed NRT, and an mHealth text-based program.
• Assessed 7-day point prevalence vaping abstinence at 3 months via self-report.

Main Results:

• Overall, 41-48% of participants achieved vaping abstinence at 3 months.
• Neither mailed NRT nor the mHealth program significantly increased abstinence rates compared to coaching calls alone.
• High abstinence rates in the control group limited statistical power to detect differences.

Conclusions:

• A quitline-delivered intervention successfully aided young adult vaping cessation, with nearly half abstinent.
• Mailed NRT and mHealth did not demonstrate statistically significant improvements over a 2-call coaching program.
• Further research with larger sample sizes is needed to clarify the independent effects of coaching, NRT, and mHealth.