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Vaping BehaviorsNCT06825338

Does the 'CATCH My Breath' Vaping Prevention Program Prevent High School Students in Ontario, Canada From Starting to Vape?

A study testing CATCH My Breath in people with Vaping Behaviors, run by University of Ontario Institute of Technology at 8 sites in Canada.

Active, not recruiting

Under way, not looking for participants. Everyone needed has enrolled. The study is still running.

Official record
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Trial summary

Vapes (also called e-cigarettes) have increased in popularity among youth in Canada and the United States. Youth who try vaping are at risk of becoming addicted and continuing to vape. To help combat the rise in vaping, there is an urgent need to identify effective ways to prevent youth from experimenting with vaping. Read more about this study

Who is it for?
Ages 13 to 19 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
Conditions the study is for
Vaping Behaviors
What is being tested?
CATCH My Breath
Could I receive a placebo?
No, everyone receives an active treatment
How many people
5,600 participants
Where
8 sitesCanada
Study dates
3 Oct 2025to Apr 2028
Phase
Interventional
Are there results?
Not yet: the study is under way

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 13 to 19 years
  • All sexes
  • Healthy volunteers accepted
  • Child, Adult

School Inclusion Criteria:

  • public and private schools in Ontario, English-speaking schools, include students in grades 9 through 12, operate in a standard school/classroom setting (i.e., not a virtual school)

School Exclusion Criteria:

  • non-English speaking schools, virtual schools, currently using the CATCH My Breath vaping prevention curriculum

Student Inclusion Criteria:

  • enrolled in the class in which the CATCH My Breath curriculum is being delivered

Student Exclusion Criteria:

  • not enrolled in the class in which the CATCH My Breath curriculum is being delivered

Trial locations and contacts

8 sites in 1 country.

8 sites in 1 country

Canada8 sites
  • Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board

    Belleville, Ontario, K8N3L3

  • Keewatin-Patricia District School Board

    Dryden, Ontario, P8N2Z6

  • Rainy River District School Board

    Fort Frances, Ontario, P9A1N3

  • Lakefield College School

    Lakefield, Ontario, K0L2H0

  • Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board

    Napanee, Ontario, K7R4B2

  • Renfrew County District School Board

    Pembroke, Ontario, K8A4G4

  • Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board

    Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7C0A4

  • Toronto District School Board

    Toronto, Ontario, M2N7H3

Other trials in Canada

About this study

Official title: Investigating the Effectiveness of the 'CATCH My Breath' Vaping Prevention Curriculum at Preventing Vaping Initiation Among High School Students in Ontario, Canada

Vapes (also called e-cigarettes) have increased in popularity among youth in Canada and the United States. Youth who try vaping are at risk of becoming addicted and continuing to vape. To help combat the rise in vaping, there is an urgent need to identify effective ways to prevent youth from experimenting with vaping. Because of the novelty of vapes, there are few school-based programs targeting vaping. This study will investigate whether a vaping prevention curriculum called 'CATCH My Breath' (CMB) prevents high school students from starting to vape.

The investigators will recruit 28 schools in Ontario, Canada into the intervention group, and students at these schools will be presented with the CMB curriculum by Public Health Unit staff. CMB is an evidence-based program that includes two 60-minute lessons that provide students with information about social norms related to vaping, health risks of vaping, media literacy, and in-class activities to practice refusal skills. Students will complete an online survey before being exposed to the curriculum, 3-months later, and 12-months later. The vaping behaviours of these students will be compared to students in a separate study of youth health (i.e., the COMPASS study) who are not given the curriculum.

Evidence from this study will identify whether students exposed to CMB are less likely to start and continue vaping. If effective, CMB can be easily delivered in high schools across Canada in order to reduce the number of students who vape.

Read the detailed description

Background and Importance: Youth vaping (or e-cigarette use) as increased dramatically among youth populations in Canada and the United States. While the long-term negative effects of vaping are relatively unknown, youth who vape are at risk of becoming addicted to nicotine and continuing to vape. Given the novelty of these devices and their rising popularity among youth, there is an urgent need to identify effective prevention approaches.

Research Aims: The goal of this study is to investigate the effectiveness of the 'CATCH My Breath' (CMB) vaping prevention curriculum at preventing vaping initiation among a cohort of high school students in Ontario, Canada. Specifically, this study will identify whether students exposed to CMB have a lower likelihood of 1) initiating vaping, 2) being susceptible to future vaping, and 3) vaping in the past 30-days at 12-month follow-up, compared to a matched comparison group of students. This study will also investigate whether the effects of the intervention differ according to gender. Methods: Intervention. CMB is a school-based vaping prevention curriculum based on best practices from earlier prevention studies and incorporates theory to foster social competence and social influence resistance skills. It is delivered through two 60-minute lessons delivered by a trained presenter. A pilot study identified components of the program that worked well and what needed to be adapted for a Canadian high school context. Sample. A purposive sample of 28 high schools in Ontario will be recruited and Public Health staff will deliver the curriculum to grade 9 students during Physical Education \& Health classes. A matched sample of 28 high schools from a larger pool of schools participating in a separate study of youth health (i.e., the COMPASS study) will be selected as a comparison group. A matched sample of students will be identified from comparison group schools. Data collection \& analysis. Students in the intervention group (n=2800) will complete an online survey before exposure to the curriculum and 3-months, and 12-months later to identify changes in vaping knowledge, attitudes, and behaviour. Descriptive analysis of baseline data will produce a profile of demographics and baseline characteristics and identify any imbalances between the intervention and comparison groups that should be accounted for in later analyses. Multilevel regression models will test for intervention effects while controlling for baseline differences through the use of covariates. Expected Outcomes: Evidence from this project will identify whether students exposed to CMB are less likely to start vaping, which will support school-based efforts to prevent vaping initiation and experimentation among youth.

Being tested
CATCH My Breath
Keywords
Vaping Prevention, Adolescent, CATCH My Breath, E-cigarette use
Medical subject headings
Vaping

What participants receive

What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.

  • CATCH My BreathOther

    Also called Vaping prevention program, Vaping prevention curriculum

    CATCH My Breath (CMB) is a school-based vaping prevention curriculum based on best practices from earlier prevention studies that works by fostering social competence and social influence resistance skills. The curriculum design and content targets two key constructs of Social Cognitive Theory: self-efficacy and behavioural capacity (i.e., knowledge and skills). The curriculum provides students with knowledge of why and how to resist vaping. It is delivered through two 60-minute lessons by a trained Public Health Unit presenter. The curriculum lessons provide information about: 1) the physical, mental, and addiction risks associated with vaping, 2) social norms of vaping (e.g., most youth don't vape), 3) media literacy (e.g., how to recognize and decipher marketing of vapes), 4) strategies to resist and avoid vaping, 5)school and provincial policies about vaping. To solidify the content, in-class activities allow students to discuss what they are learning and practice refusal skills.

Study groups in NCT06825338
Study groupRoleWhat they receive
CATCH My Breath (CMB)ExperimentalCATCH My Breath (CMB) is a school-based vaping prevention curriculum based on best practices from earlier prevention studies that works by fostering social competence and social influence resistance skills. The curriculum design and content targets two key constructs of Social Cognitive Theory: self-efficacy and behavioural capacity (i.e., knowledge and skills). The curriculum provides students with knowledge of why and how to resist vaping. It is delivered through two 60-minute lessons by a trained Public Health Unit presenter. The curriculum lessons provide information about: 1) the physical, mental, and addiction risks associated with vaping, 2) social norms of vaping (e.g., most youth don't vape), 3) media literacy (e.g., how to recognize and decipher marketing of vapes), 4) strategies to resist and avoid vaping, 5)school and provincial policies about vaping. To solidify the content, in-class activities allow students to discuss what they are learning and practice refusal skills.
Receives: Other: CATCH My Breath
ComparisonNo interventionIn Ontario, the current Health and Physical Education curriculum does not include any vaping-specific information, leaving it up to the discretion of educators to decide what to teach and how. The study takes advantage of existing connections to the COMPASS study. The large sample of schools participating in the COMPASS study provides an ideal comparison group, eliminating the need to recruit schools for this condition and reducing costs. The COMPASS study collects information about changes to school programs, policies, and the built environment that may occur over time using the School Policies and Practices survey. This survey is completed annually by a school contact knowledgeable about the school's health-related programs and policies. School contacts are asked whether the school offers any programs that address vaping and tobacco use prevention/cessation. This information will be used to identify schools that have not implemented any vaping/tobacco use programs.

What is being measured

The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.

  1. Number of participants that initiate vaping at 12-month follow-up

    One validated item will assess ever vaping: "Have you ever tried a vape, also known as an e-cigarette?", with response options 'Yes' and 'No'. This item is consistent with other youth health surveillance studies in Canada and the US and is already present in the COMPASS survey. The question will include a definition of vapes, including examples and images of common brands, to improve the validity of student responses. Students who respond 'No' at baseline will be categorized as 'Never vapers'. Students who never vaped at baseline who respond 'Yes' at follow-up will be categorized as 'Initiated vaping' (outcome of interest), while those who respond 'No' at follow-up will be categorized as 'Did not initiate vaping' (reference group).

    Measured: baseline and 12-month follow-up

Secondary outcomes (3)
  1. Change in susceptibility to future vaping from baseline to 12-month follow-up

    Three validated items will assess susceptibility to future vaping among students who never vaped: (1) "Have you ever been curious about using a vape?"; (2) "If one of your best friends were to offer you a vape, would you use it?"; and (3) "At any time during the next year do you think you will use a vape?", with response options 'Definitely yes', 'Probably yes', 'Probably not', and 'Definitely not'. Consistent with previous studies, students who never vaped who respond 'definitely not' to all three questions will be considered 'Not susceptible to future vaping', while all others are considered 'Susceptible to future vaping'. The analyses will explore whether intervention group students who are susceptible to future vaping at baseline are more likely to become not susceptible to future vaping at follow-up relative to comparison group students.

    Measured: baseline and 12-month follow-up

  2. Change in number of students reporting past 30-day vaping from baseline to 12-month follow-up

    One item will assess current (past 30-day) vaping: "On how many of the last 30 days did you use a vape?" (None, 1 day, 2 to 3 days, 4 to 5 days, 6 to 10 days, 11 to 20 days, 21 to 29 days, 30 days [every day]). Students who report vaping at least one day in the last 30 days will be categorized as 'Current vapers', while all others will be categorized as 'Non-current vapers'. The analyses will explore whether intervention group students who currently vape at baseline are more likely to not currently vape at follow-up relative to comparison group students.

    Measured: baseline and 12-month follow-up

  3. Change in knowledge of vaping-related harms from baseline to 3- and 12-month follow-up

    Students in the intervention group will answer questions assessing knowledge of harms of vaping (9 items related to content delivered in the lessons), perceived positive and negative outcomes of vaping (11 items), subjective norms of vaping (2 items that ask about norms of vaping among their peers), and vaping resistance self-efficacy (4 validated items).

    Measured: baseline, 3-month, and 12-month follow-up

Timeline

From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.

  1. First posted13 Feb 2025
  2. Study start3 Oct 2025
  3. Primary completionApr 2028 (estimated)
  4. Study completionApr 2028 (estimated)

Resources

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
Non-randomised
Intervention model
Parallel groups
Model description
This is a two-arm quasi-experimental study. The study team will recruit schools that will implement the CATCH My Breath vaping prevention curriculum (intervention group). Results will be compared with a separate on-going study of youth health: the COMPASS study (comparison group). Schools recruited into the COMPASS study will not implement the CATCH My Breath vaping prevention curriculum.
Masking
None (open label)
Enrolment
5,600 participants (estimated)
IDs, dates and publications
ClinicalTrials.gov ID
NCT06825338
Sponsor's protocol ID
REB-18093
Other IDs
PJT-195799
Status last verified
Apr 2026
First submitted
7 Feb 2025
Last updated
1 May 2026
Results posted
No
Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
Individual data sharing
Yes: Student surveys: Anonymized data for students who have given permission for their data to be used for secondary research purposes and the associated Codebook will be uploaded to Borealis to be stored indefinitely at the end of the project following data analysis and publication. These anonymized data will be available only to specific individuals upon request. The requests will be reviewed and approved by the PI. Field Notes Survey: Anonymized data and the associated Codebook will be uploaded to Borealis to be stored indefinitely at the end of the project following data analysis and publication. These anonymized data will be available only to specific individuals upon request. The requests will be reviewed and approved by the PI. COMPASS data: Electronic data used for secondary data analysis will not be shared. Those interested in accessing COMPASS data can submit a Data Request Application to the PI of the COMPASS study.

Publications

  • Cole AG, Fairs LRW, Barakat C, Mantey D, Bianco M, Philipneri A, Degano C, Leatherdale ST, Kelder SH. Study protocol for a quasi-experimental investigation of the effectiveness of the 'CATCH My Breath' vaping prevention curriculum at preventing vaping outcomes among high school students in Ontario, Canada. BMC Public Health. 2026 Jun 5. doi: 10.1186/s12889-026-28027-3. Online ahead of print.

    PubMed 42249341

Questions about this trial

What is this clinical trial studying?

A study testing CATCH My Breath in people with Vaping Behaviors, run by University of Ontario Institute of Technology at 8 sites in Canada.

The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.

Who may be eligible to take part?

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: under way, not looking for participants, as of the sponsor's last update on 1 May 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.

Where is the study taking place?

The record lists 8 sites in Canada. 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?

This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.

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?

Number of participants that initiate vaping at 12-month follow-up (time frame: baseline and 12-month follow-up). 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 NCT06825338, which also lists 1 linked publication.

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 1 May 2026.

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