Tobacco UseDMCCNCT04867668
Digital Media for Cancer Control (to Prevent Vaping and Smoking Behavior)
A study testing Anti-vaping and anti-smoking digital advertising in people with Tobacco Use, run by George Washington University at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
There is little published data on exposure to and evaluations of large-scale, online tobacco control campaigns. This project addresses the gap. Under 2 specific aims, the investigators will identify the independent effects of varying levels of digital message exposure to promote anti-tobacco attitudes, beliefs, or… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 24 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Tobacco Use
- What is being tested?
- Anti-vaping and anti-smoking digital advertising
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 2,800 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 20 Feb 2021to 28 Feb 2026
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 18 to 24 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Young adults age 18-24 who are members of the Ipsos/Knowledge Panel
Who cannot join
- Those who do not meet inclusion criteria
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health
Washington D.C., District of Columbia, 20052
About this study
Official title: Digital Media for Cancer Control: Randomized Controlled Trial and Dose-Response Effects
There is little published data on exposure to and evaluations of large-scale, online tobacco control campaigns. This project addresses the gap. Under 2 specific aims, the investigators will identify the independent effects of varying levels of digital message exposure to promote anti-tobacco attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors among youth and young adults, first through a randomized experiment online, and second through a field-based evaluation. These studies will advance the science of digital health and have wide application to future campaigns.
Read the detailed description
Tobacco remains the single leading preventable cause of death in the US and annual tobacco-related health care costs are estimated at $170 billion. In 2016, 20% of high school students (3.05 million youth) reported recent use of tobacco products and estimated 5.6 million youth under the age of 18 will die early due to smoking-related illness demonstrating a need for prevention interventions. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, some 13.1% of adults aged 18-24 were smokers, and over 5 million of these young adults will die early due to smoking-related illness. Moreover, the significant declines in youth cigarette smoking may be eclipsed by other tobacco products and use of JUUL, a highly-effective nicotine delivery product. Given their widespread use, there is a need to leverage digital media to influence health outcomes and public education campaigns are increasingly using them. Recent studies show that social media can be effective in countering tobacco industry product promotion online and as a tobacco control campaign platform. However, there is little published data on exposure to and evaluations of large-scale, online tobacco control campaigns. The proposed R01 project addresses this gap and builds on over 16 years of collaboration among the research team in evaluating the national Truth campaign. This application is significant for several reasons. First, tobacco use prevention and other health behavior change campaigns are increasingly delivered through digital channels, yet few studies have focused on rigorous measurement of digital message exposure and response. Exposure measures are a critical component since analyses either compare those exposed to the unexposed, or examine a dose-response curve among varying levels of campaign exposure. This research will use pixel tracking (HTML codes embedded in digital ads) to measure campaign dose-response effects. While the predictive value of self-report and exogenous mass media measures of exposure (e.g., Gross Rating Points) has been well studied, there is little evidence on the effects of digital exposure. Finally, little is known about the independent effects of varying levels of digital message exposure to promote anti-tobacco attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors among youth and young adults. In aim 1, the investigators will conduct a 6-month controlled, online, randomized study to compare the effects of varying levels of digital media exposure, measured by pixel tracking, on campaign-targeted tobacco-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behavioral outcomes. In aim 2, the investigators will conduct a field-based randomized trial to evaluate a truth digital campaign to confirm the relationship between digital media exposure, message awareness, and tobacco-related outcomes over 36 months. The result of these studies will be benchmark methods and measures of digital ad exposure that have wide application to future digital health campaigns.
- Conditions
- Tobacco Use
- Being tested
- Anti-vaping and anti-smoking digital advertising
- Keywords
- Vaping, Smoking, Digital Media, Advertising, Dose-response, Randomized Controlled Trial
- Medical subject headings
- Tobacco Use, Vaping, Smoking
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Anti-vaping and anti-smoking digital advertisingBehavioural
Delivery of social media based advertising to prevent vaping and smoking among young adults ages 18-24.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Digital intervention | Experimental | Participants will be randomized to receive variable levels of exposure (including no exposure control) of digital anti-vaping and anti-smoking messages. We will evaluate the effects of experimental condition and exposure on outcomes (tobacco product use). Receives: Behavioral: Anti-vaping and anti-smoking digital advertising |
| Control | No intervention | No exposure control condition |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
30-day use of electronic cigarettes (vaping)
Frequency of vaping during the past 30 days
Measured: Ad Awareness Outcome (Aim 1): By the end of year 1, Vaping & Smoking Outcome (Aim 2): By the end of year 5
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted30 Apr 2021
- Study start20 Feb 2021
- Primary completion28 Feb 2026
- Study completion28 Feb 2026
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Tobacco UseStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by George Washington UniversityThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Interventional
- Phase
- Phase N/A
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Single blind
- Who is masked
- Investigator
- Enrolment
- 2,800 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- George Washington University
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, W.Douglas Evans, George Washington University
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04867668
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- NCR202837
- Acronym
- DMCC
- Status last verified
- Mar 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Feb 2021
- Last updated
- 10 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- Yes
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Publications
Evans WD, Ichimiya M, Bingenheimer JB, Cantrell J, D'Esterre AP, Pincus O, Yu LQ, Hair EC. Design and Baseline Evaluation of Social Media Vaping Prevention Trial: Randomized Controlled Trial Study. J Med Internet Res. 2025 Mar 31;27:e72002. doi: 10.2196/72002.
PubMed 40164170D'Esterre AP, Tulsiani S, Hair EC, Aseltine M, Yu LQ, Ichimiya M, Bingenheimer JB, Cantrell J, Evans WD. Pathway from Exposure to an E-Cigarette Prevention Social Media Campaign to Increased Quitting Intentions: A Randomized Trial Among Young Adult E-Cigarette Users. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Feb 18;22(2):307. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22020307.
PubMed 40003532Evans WD, Bingenheimer J, Cantrell J, Kreslake J, Tulsiani S, Ichimiya M, D'Esterre AP, Gerard R, Martin M, Hair EC. Effects of a Social Media Intervention on Vaping Intentions: Randomized Dose-Response Experiment. J Med Internet Res. 2024 Mar 12;26:e50741. doi: 10.2196/50741.
PubMed 38470468
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 10 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Digital Media for Cancer Control: Randomized Controlled Trial and Dose-Response Effects
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT04867668
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- DMCC / NCR202837
- Conditions
- Tobacco Use
- Keywords
- Vaping, Smoking, Digital Media, Advertising, Dose-response, Randomized Controlled Trial
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 2,800 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- George Washington UniversityUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Institutes of Health (NIH)
- Study start
- 20 Feb 2021 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (actual)
- Study completion
- 28 Feb 2026 (actual)
- First posted
- 30 Apr 2021 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
There is little published data on exposure to and evaluations of large-scale, online tobacco control campaigns. This project addresses the gap. Under 2 specific aims, the investigators will identify the independent effects of varying levels of digital message exposure to promote anti-tobacco attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors among youth and young adults, first through a randomized experiment online, and second through a field-based evaluation. These studies will advance the science of digital health and have wide application to future campaigns.
Detailed description
Tobacco remains the single leading preventable cause of death in the US and annual tobacco-related health care costs are estimated at $170 billion. In 2016, 20% of high school students (3.05 million youth) reported recent use of tobacco products and estimated 5.6 million youth under the age of 18 will die early due to smoking-related illness demonstrating a need for prevention interventions. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, some 13.1% of adults aged 18-24 were smokers, and over 5 million of these young adults will die early due to smoking-related illness. Moreover, the significant declines in youth cigarette smoking may be eclipsed by other tobacco products and use of JUUL, a highly-effective nicotine delivery product. Given their widespread use, there is a need to leverage digital media to influence health outcomes and public education campaigns are increasingly using them. Recent studies show that social media can be effective in countering tobacco industry product promotion online and as a tobacco control campaign platform. However, there is little published data on exposure to and evaluations of large-scale, online tobacco control campaigns. The proposed R01 project addresses this gap and builds on over 16 years of collaboration among the research team in evaluating the national Truth campaign. This application is significant for several reasons. First, tobacco use prevention and other health behavior change campaigns are increasingly delivered through digital channels, yet few studies have focused on rigorous measurement of digital message exposure and response. Exposure measures are a critical component since analyses either compare those exposed to the unexposed, or examine a dose-response curve among varying levels of campaign exposure. This research will use pixel tracking (HTML codes embedded in digital ads) to measure campaign dose-response effects. While the predictive value of self-report and exogenous mass media measures of exposure (e.g., Gross Rating Points) has been well studied, there is little evidence on the effects of digital exposure. Finally, little is known about the independent effects of varying levels of digital message exposure to promote anti-tobacco attitudes, beliefs, or behaviors among youth and young adults. In aim 1, the investigators will conduct a 6-month controlled, online, randomized study to compare the effects of varying levels of digital media exposure, measured by pixel tracking, on campaign-targeted tobacco-related knowledge, attitudes, beliefs and behavioral outcomes. In aim 2, the investigators will conduct a field-based randomized trial to evaluate a truth digital campaign to confirm the relationship between digital media exposure, message awareness, and tobacco-related outcomes over 36 months. The result of these studies will be benchmark methods and measures of digital ad exposure that have wide application to future digital health campaigns.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Factorial
- Masking
- Single blind (investigator)
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Digital intervention | Experimental | Behavioral: Anti-vaping and anti-smoking digital advertisingParticipants will be randomized to receive variable levels of exposure (including no exposure control) of digital anti-vaping and anti-smoking messages. We will evaluate the effects of experimental condition and exposure on outcomes (tobacco product use). |
| Control | No intervention | –No exposure control condition |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 24 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Young adults age 18-24 who are members of the Ipsos/Knowledge Panel
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Those who do not meet inclusion criteria
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Interventions
| Intervention | Type | Arms |
|---|---|---|
| Anti-vaping and anti-smoking digital advertisingDelivery of social media based advertising to prevent vaping and smoking among young adults ages 18-24. | Behavioural | Digital intervention |
Primary outcome
30-day use of electronic cigarettes (vaping)
Time frame: Ad Awareness Outcome (Aim 1): By the end of year 1, Vaping & Smoking Outcome (Aim 2): By the end of year 5
Frequency of vaping during the past 30 days
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 10 Mar 2026.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40164170Evans WD, Ichimiya M, Bingenheimer JB, Cantrell J, D'Esterre AP, Pincus O, Yu LQ, Hair EC. Design and Baseline Evaluation of Social Media Vaping Prevention Trial: Randomized Controlled Trial Study. J Med Internet Res. 2025 Mar 31;27:e72002. doi: 10.2196/72002.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 40003532D'Esterre AP, Tulsiani S, Hair EC, Aseltine M, Yu LQ, Ichimiya M, Bingenheimer JB, Cantrell J, Evans WD. Pathway from Exposure to an E-Cigarette Prevention Social Media Campaign to Increased Quitting Intentions: A Randomized Trial Among Young Adult E-Cigarette Users. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2025 Feb 18;22(2):307. doi: 10.3390/ijerph22020307.
- Derived from this study: PubMed 38470468Evans WD, Bingenheimer J, Cantrell J, Kreslake J, Tulsiani S, Ichimiya M, D'Esterre AP, Gerard R, Martin M, Hair EC. Effects of a Social Media Intervention on Vaping Intentions: Randomized Dose-Response Experiment. J Med Internet Res. 2024 Mar 12;26:e50741. doi: 10.2196/50741.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
A study testing Anti-vaping and anti-smoking digital advertising in people with Tobacco Use, run by George Washington University at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 1 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 10 Mar 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
30-day use of electronic cigarettes (vaping) (time frame: Ad Awareness Outcome (Aim 1): By the end of year 1, Vaping & Smoking Outcome (Aim 2): By the end of year 5). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT04867668, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 10 Mar 2026.