Exploration of Digital Interventions for Vaping Cessation: Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Digital Health
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Digital interventions offer scalable and accessible alternatives for vaping cessation, particularly for youth and young adults.
• Existing digital cessation methods include mobile apps, text messaging, telehealth, and social media interventions.
• Significant variation exists in the design, implementation, and evaluation of these interventions, impacting effectiveness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To map the landscape of digital interventions for vaping cessation.
• To identify key strategies, effectiveness outcomes, and implementation challenges.
• To highlight literature gaps and prioritize future research for enhanced digital cessation tools.

Main Methods:

• A scoping review was conducted following Joanna Briggs Institute methodology and PRISMA-ScR guidelines.
• Systematic searches were performed in CINAHL, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO.
• Included studies examined mobile apps, text messaging, social media/web-based interventions, and telehealth coaching for vaping cessation.

Main Results:

• Sixteen studies involving SMS, mobile apps, telehealth, and web-based interventions were identified.
• Interventions with personalized messaging, behavioral tracking, and social features showed higher retention and cessation success.
• Challenges included limited use of behavior change frameworks, inconsistent engagement metrics, self-reported abstinence, and scalability issues.

Conclusions:

• Digital interventions hold promise for vaping cessation, particularly when incorporating personalization and social support.
• High dropout rates, accessibility barriers, and methodological limitations require attention.
• Future research should focus on hybrid digital-human approaches, equity-focused design, and pragmatic evaluation methods.