Reflections From a Case Study Engaging LGBTQ+ College Youth in Research on Vaping

This study centered the voices of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and other (LGBTQ+) college students in vaping prevention research focused on electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS). We used a participatory approach guided by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention best practices to establish a Youth Council (YC) of six LGBTQ+ students (ages 18-24) from George Mason University and other Virginia colleges from August 2023. The recruitment strategy was purposeful and occurred through institutional emails, social media, and newsletters. Data included YC meeting minutes and a Zoom-based focus group with three members. The FGD transcript was inductively coded, and preliminary themes were validated by YC members Three themes emerged: (a) motivation; members sought research experience and valued contributing to inclusive projects; (b) challenges; scheduling conflicts, inconsistent attendance, and limited faculty interaction; and (c) perceived impact and sustainability; YC members perceived that the council expanded outreach and promoted inclusion but emphasized that continued faculty support, flexible engagement, and digital outreach were needed to ensure sustainability. Findings underscore the value of participatory frameworks for equitable engagement of LGBTQ+ youth in health research.