Vaping BehaviorNCT06704295
High Impact E-cigarette Advertisement Features
A study testing Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name, Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and image in people with Vaping Behavior, run by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
This randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effects of high-impact e-cigarette advertisement features among young adults of various tobacco-use statuses. Previous research on examining the effects of e-cigarette advertisement features found that flavor-related features (e.g., flavor-associated product color… Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 to 30 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Vaping Behavior
- What is being tested?
- Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name, Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and image
- Type of treatment
- Lifestyle or therapy programme
- Could I receive a placebo?
- No, everyone receives an active treatment
- How many people
- 3,083 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- 17 Dec 2024to 10 Feb 2025
- Phase
- Interventional
- Are there results?
- Yes, posted in the registrySummary in the doctors' view
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 30 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Adult
Who may be able to join
- Three groups of young adult subjects will be included in the study. The first group is those who are exclusive cigarette smokers (n=1000), defined as those who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and have smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days but have not used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. The second group is those who are dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes (n=1000). Those in this group have smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and have smoked a cigarette and also used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days. The third group is those who are non-tobacco users (n=1000), defined as those who have never used any tobacco product before or have never "regularly" used tobacco products before and are currently not using any tobacco products (in the past 30 days).
Who cannot join
- Any subjects not meeting the inclusion criteria will be excluded from the study. Individuals will be further excluded if they do not provide consent to participate in the study.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
About this study
This randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effects of high-impact e-cigarette advertisement features among young adults of various tobacco-use statuses. Previous research on examining the effects of e-cigarette advertisement features found that flavor-related features (e.g., flavor-associated product color, name and image, flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim) may have the largest impact on shaping young adults' perceptions and use intentions of e-cigarettes. No research so far has solely focused on examining the effects of those high-impact flavor-related advertisement features. The present study assessed the effects of high-impact flavor-related advertisement features, including flavor descriptor name, e-cigarette product color (which indicates flavors), flavor-related image, flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim on perceptions and behavioral intentions among a large online sample of young adults aged 18-30 who either smoke cigarettes or do not use tobacco products. The study is a six-group RCT with parallel assignments that will be delivered through an online self-administered questionnaire consisting of one session. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of six trial arms: 1) dark gray product with tobacco flavor name, 2) dark gray product with strawberry flavor name, 3) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, 4) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image, 5) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and 6) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim. Participants will be exposed to one advertisement corresponding to the assigned condition, and answer survey questions immediately after message exposure.
Read the detailed description
The FDA considers the marketing plans of new e-cigarette products for premarket tobacco product application approval. Flavor-related advertisement features may entice young adults who do not use tobacco products to use the products but may also generate complete product switching interests among young adults who smoke cigarettes. This study tested the effects of several high-impact e-cigarette advertisement features related to flavors to inform the FDA's policymaking and public health preventive messages.
Setting: The trial will be an experiment delivered through an online self-administered questionnaire consisting of one session over 20 minutes.
Recruitment: Participants will be recruited from the research company Qualtrics from its research panels.
Informed Consent: Participants will provide online consent prior to taking the survey.
Randomization: After providing informed consent and answering pre-exposure questions, the investigator will use Qualtrics programming to randomize participants into one of the six trial conditions. The randomization will use least fill for the allocation of conditions where if the counts for the conditions were equal, the survey would assign the condition sequentially.
Assessment: Participants will take part in one session (estimated at about 20 mins): participants will answer questions assessing tobacco use status, cigarette smoking quit intentions and attempts (only asked young adults who smoke cigarettes), e-cigarette use, and other tobacco product use. They will then view one e-cigarette advertisement for at least 12 seconds and report immediate outcomes, including perceptions and behavioral intentions related to the e-cigarette product they see in the advertisement.
- Conditions
- Vaping Behavior
- Being tested
- Control ad with dark gray product with tobacco flavor name, Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name, Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and image, Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features
- Keywords
- E-cigarette advertisement, Vaping, Complete switching, Cigarette smoking cessation, Young adults, E-cigarette marketing, Tobacco policy
- Medical subject headings
- Vaping, Tobacco Use Cessation
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
Control ad with dark gray product with tobacco flavor nameBehavioural
The e-cigarette ad with a dark gray product with a tobacco flavor name
Dark gray product with strawberry flavor nameBehavioural
The e-cigarette ad with a dark gray product with a strawberry flavor name
Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor nameBehavioural
The e-cigarette ad with a colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name
Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and imageBehavioural
The e-cigarette ad with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image
Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor featuresBehavioural
The e-cigarette advertisement with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, and strawberry flavor sensation descriptor
Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claimBehavioural
The e-cigarette ad with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Control ad: Dark gray product with tobacco flavor name | Other | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Control ad with dark gray product with tobacco flavor name |
| Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image | Experimental | Not described Receives: Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and image |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features | Experimental | Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name + strawberry image + strawberry flavor sensation descriptor Receives: Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claim | Experimental | Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name + strawberry image + strawberry flavor sensation descriptor + flavor choice claim Receives: Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claim |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Intentions of Using the E-cigarette
A single item measuring the intentions of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely).
Measured: Immediately after exposure
Intentions of Switching Completely to the E-cigarette
A single item measuring participants' intentions of switching completely to the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely). This question is only asked among those who smoke cigarettes.
Measured: Immediately after exposure
Secondary outcomes (5)
Intentions of Using the E-cigarette Compared to Cigarettes
A single item measuring the intentions of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad compared to smoking cigarettes, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Much less likely ) to 10 (Much more likely).
Measured: Immediately after exposure
Intentions of Using the E-cigarette Compared to Other E-cigarettes
A single item measuring the intentions of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad compared to using other e-cigarette products, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Much less likely ) to 10 (Much more likely).
Measured: Immediately after exposure
Ad Appeal
A 3-item scale for those who do not use tobacco, measuring to what extent participants perceive the ad they saw to be appealing, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took 12 seconds), including liking the ad, curious about the product shown in the ad, and interest in using the product shown in the ad. Response options are from 0 (Dislike very much ) to 10 (Like very much) for ad liking and 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree) for the other two items. Average scores of the three items were calculated (0-10). A 4-item scale for those who smoke cigarettes, including the same 3-item scale and an additional single item measuring the agreement on whether the ad makes them want to completely switch to the e-cigarette shown in the ad. Response options are from 0 (Strongly disagree) to 10 (Strongly agree). Average scores of the four items were calculated (0-10).
Measured: Immediately after exposure
Perceived Absolute Harm of Using the E-cigarette
A single item measuring the participants' perception of having health problems from using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely).
Measured: Immediately after exposure
Perceived Absolute Addictiveness of Using the E-cigarette
A single item measuring the participants' perception of becoming addicted to using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely).
Measured: Immediately after exposure
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted26 Nov 2024
- Study start17 Dec 2024
- Primary completion10 Feb 2025
- Study completion10 Feb 2025
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, outcome measures and adverse events reported by the sponsor.
- Other trials for Vaping BehaviorStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Enrolment
- 3,083 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Julia Chen-Sankey, PhD, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06704295
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- Pro2024002290
- Other IDs
- R00CA242589
- Status last verified
- Dec 2025
- First submitted
- 22 Nov 2024
- Last updated
- 9 Mar 2026
- Results posted
- Yes, on ClinicalTrials.gov
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 9 Mar 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- High Impact E-cigarette Advertisement Features
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT06704295
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- Pro2024002290
- Conditions
- Vaping Behavior
- Keywords
- E-cigarette advertisement, Vaping, Complete switching, Cigarette smoking cessation, Young adults, E-cigarette marketing, Tobacco policy
- Study type
- Interventional
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 3,083 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Rutgers, The State University of New JerseyUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- National Cancer Institute (NCI)
- Study start
- 17 Dec 2024 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 10 Feb 2025 (actual)
- Study completion
- 10 Feb 2025 (actual)
- First posted
- 26 Nov 2024 (actual)
- Results
- Posted 9 Mar 2026
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This randomized controlled trial aims to examine the effects of high-impact e-cigarette advertisement features among young adults of various tobacco-use statuses. Previous research on examining the effects of e-cigarette advertisement features found that flavor-related features (e.g., flavor-associated product color, name and image, flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim) may have the largest impact on shaping young adults' perceptions and use intentions of e-cigarettes. No research so far has solely focused on examining the effects of those high-impact flavor-related advertisement features. The present study assessed the effects of high-impact flavor-related advertisement features, including flavor descriptor name, e-cigarette product color (which indicates flavors), flavor-related image, flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim on perceptions and behavioral intentions among a large online sample of young adults aged 18-30 who either smoke cigarettes or do not use tobacco products. The study is a six-group RCT with parallel assignments that will be delivered through an online self-administered questionnaire consisting of one session. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of six trial arms: 1) dark gray product with tobacco flavor name, 2) dark gray product with strawberry flavor name, 3) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, 4) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image, 5) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and 6) colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim. Participants will be exposed to one advertisement corresponding to the assigned condition, and answer survey questions immediately after message exposure.
Detailed description
The FDA considers the marketing plans of new e-cigarette products for premarket tobacco product application approval. Flavor-related advertisement features may entice young adults who do not use tobacco products to use the products but may also generate complete product switching interests among young adults who smoke cigarettes. This study tested the effects of several high-impact e-cigarette advertisement features related to flavors to inform the FDA's policymaking and public health preventive messages.
Setting: The trial will be an experiment delivered through an online self-administered questionnaire consisting of one session over 20 minutes.
Recruitment: Participants will be recruited from the research company Qualtrics from its research panels.
Informed Consent: Participants will provide online consent prior to taking the survey.
Randomization: After providing informed consent and answering pre-exposure questions, the investigator will use Qualtrics programming to randomize participants into one of the six trial conditions. The randomization will use least fill for the allocation of conditions where if the counts for the conditions were equal, the survey would assign the condition sequentially.
Assessment: Participants will take part in one session (estimated at about 20 mins): participants will answer questions assessing tobacco use status, cigarette smoking quit intentions and attempts (only asked young adults who smoke cigarettes), e-cigarette use, and other tobacco product use. They will then view one e-cigarette advertisement for at least 12 seconds and report immediate outcomes, including perceptions and behavioral intentions related to the e-cigarette product they see in the advertisement.
Study design
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
- Allocation
- Randomised
- Intervention model
- Parallel groups
- Masking
- None (open label)
- Number of arms
- 6
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Control ad: Dark gray product with tobacco flavor name | Other | Behavioral: Control ad with dark gray product with tobacco flavor name |
| Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name | Experimental | Behavioral: Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name | Experimental | Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image | Experimental | Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and image |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features | Experimental | Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor featuresColorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name + strawberry image + strawberry flavor sensation descriptor |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claim | Experimental | Behavioral: Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claimColorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name + strawberry image + strawberry flavor sensation descriptor + flavor choice claim |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 to 30 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Adult
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Three groups of young adult subjects will be included in the study. The first group is those who are exclusive cigarette smokers (n=1000), defined as those who have smoked at least 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and have smoked at least one cigarette in the past 30 days but have not used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. The second group is those who are dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes (n=1000). Those in this group have smoked more than 100 cigarettes in their lifetime and have smoked a cigarette and also used an e-cigarette in the past 30 days. The third group is those who are non-tobacco users (n=1000), defined as those who have never used any tobacco product before or have never "regularly" used tobacco products before and are currently not using any tobacco products (in the past 30 days).
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Any subjects not meeting the inclusion criteria will be excluded from the study. Individuals will be further excluded if they do not provide consent to participate in the study.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Control ad with dark gray product with tobacco flavor nameThe e-cigarette ad with a dark gray product with a tobacco flavor name | Behavioural | Control ad: Dark gray product with tobacco flavor name |
| Dark gray product with strawberry flavor nameThe e-cigarette ad with a dark gray product with a strawberry flavor name | Behavioural | Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor nameThe e-cigarette ad with a colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name | Behavioural | Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and imageThe e-cigarette ad with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image | Behavioural | Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and strawberry image |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor featuresThe e-cigarette advertisement with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, and strawberry flavor sensation descriptor | Behavioural | Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features |
| Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claimThe e-cigarette ad with colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name, strawberry image, strawberry flavor sensation descriptor, and flavor choice claim | Behavioural | Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor features and choice claim |
Primary outcome
Intentions of Using the E-cigarette
Time frame: Immediately after exposure
A single item measuring the intentions of using the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely).
Intentions of Switching Completely to the E-cigarette
Time frame: Immediately after exposure
A single item measuring participants' intentions of switching completely to the e-cigarette shown in the ad, assessed immediately after exposure (exposure took approximately 12 seconds). Response options are from 0 (Extremely unlikely ) to 10 (Extremely likely). This question is only asked among those who smoke cigarettes.
5 secondary outcomes
Intentions of Using the E-cigarette Compared to Cigarettes
Time frame: Immediately after exposure
Intentions of Using the E-cigarette Compared to Other E-cigarettes
Time frame: Immediately after exposure
Ad Appeal
Time frame: Immediately after exposure
Perceived Absolute Harm of Using the E-cigarette
Time frame: Immediately after exposure
Perceived Absolute Addictiveness of Using the E-cigarette
Time frame: Immediately after exposure
Results and safety
Loading the posted results from ClinicalTrials.gov…
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 9 Mar 2026.
- Posted resultsParticipant flow, baseline, all outcome measures and adverse events.
- 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 Dark gray product with strawberry flavor name, Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and Colorful (strawberry color) product with strawberry flavor name and image in people with Vaping Behavior, run by Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey 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 9 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?
Yes. Results are posted in the registry (first posted 9 Mar 2026). A summary is in the For doctors view, and the full results are on ClinicalTrials.gov.
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?
Intentions of Using the E-cigarette (time frame: Immediately after exposure). The study lists 2 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
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 9 Mar 2026.