Co-design of the 'OurFutures Vaping' programme: a school-based eHealth intervention to prevent e-cigarette use

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Adolescent Health
• Digital Health Interventions

Background:

• Youth e-cigarette use (vaping) presents significant public health challenges, necessitating effective prevention strategies.
• School-based interventions are effective for substance use prevention, and eHealth approaches can overcome implementation barriers.
• There is a critical need for evidence-based, school-based e-cigarette prevention programs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To co-design and user-test the "OurFutures Vaping" program, a universal school-based eHealth intervention.
• To adapt an existing effective prevention model for e-cigarette use among adolescents.
• To develop an engaging and relevant intervention utilizing interactive cartoons and resources.

Main Methods:

• The "OurFutures Vaping" program was developed through four iterative stages: literature review, youth consultations, content development, and user testing with students and teachers.
• Consultations involved 34 young people (14-16 years) to understand perceptions of vaping and inform cartoon content.
• User testing involved 37 students (13-14 years) and 13 teachers to refine lesson length, storyline relevance, and resource inclusion.

Main Results:

• Key refinements included adjusting lesson duration, enhancing storyline believability, and incorporating e-cigarette addiction and cessation resources.
• User feedback led to improvements in illustrations and overall intervention relevance for the target audience.
• The final intervention consists of four 40-minute online cartoon lessons with supplementary teacher-led activities and resources.

Conclusions:

• The "OurFutures Vaping" program is the first Australian school-based e-cigarette intervention developed through co-design and evidence-based principles.
• Iterative co-design and user testing ensured the intervention is relevant and engaging for young people.
• The program is undergoing rigorous evaluation via a cluster randomized controlled trial, demonstrating its potential for significant public health impact.