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The effect of a text-message based intervention targeting parents on adolescent e-cigarette use

A randomised controlled trial to examine the potential effect of a text-message based intervention targeting parents on adolescent e-cigarette use

Status
Withdrawn
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ANZCTR
Registry ID
ACTRN12622000905763
Enrollment
144
Registered
2022-06-24
Start date
2023-01-31
Completion date
Unknown
Last updated
2023-02-06

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

None listed

Brief summary

Previous research indicates that text-message based programmes can be an effective public health approach to improve adolescent health behaviours, including tobacco use, thus may have promise as an approach to influence adolescent e-cigarette behaviours. We aim to conduct a randomised controlled trial to examine the potential effect of a text-message program targeting parents to prevent adolescent e-cigarette use. Over 12 weeks, parents of adolescents will receive text messages designed to address the factors identified that increase the risk of adolescent use (e.g. to modify perceived social norms, or correct misconceptions of risk). Adolescent intentions to use e-cigarettes will be the primary outcome, assessed via a survey.

Interventions

A randomised controlled trial design will be used to test the effectiveness of a theory-based intervention to prevent adolescent e-cigarette use among parents of adolescents aged 14 to 17 years in New South Wales, Australia. Parents allocated to the intervention group will receive a 12-week theory-based intervention to prevent adolescent e-cigarette use. The intervention will consist of a library of text messages addressing adolescent e-cigarette use developed following extensive consultation

A randomised controlled trial design will be used to test the effectiveness of a theory-based intervention to prevent adolescent e-cigarette use among parents of adolescents aged 14 to 17 years in New South Wales, Australia. Parents allocated to the intervention group will receive a 12-week theory-based intervention to prevent adolescent e-cigarette use. The intervention will consist of a library of text messages addressing adolescent e-cigarette use developed following extensive consultation with parents and adolescents via focus groups, semi-structured interviews and online surveys, in addition to consultation with researchers and experts from the field of e-cigarettes and tobacco. The messages target constructs within the Theory of Planned Behaviour (i.e. attitudes, subjective norms and perceived behavioural control), a theory frequently employed to guide the development of text-message based interventions to prevent and address adolescent tobacco use. Messages will be sent to parents to target factors (I.e. barriers and enablers) associated with adolescent e-cigarette use, aligned to each of the Theory of Planned Behaviour constructs. Parents allocated to the intervention group will receive two plain text messages (i.e. do not contain external links) per week for one school term (12 weeks). The length of each text message will be 1-2 sentences. Adherence to the intervention will be monitored via analytics (e.g. read receipts) automatically captured by the text-message program used to disseminate the messages to parents.

Sponsors

University of Newcastle
Lead SponsorUniversity

Study design

Allocation
Randomised controlled trial
Intervention model
Parallel
Primary purpose
Prevention
Masking
Blinded (masking used) (Caregiver, Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
All
Age
18 Years to No maximum
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

Parents of adolescents aged between 14 to 17 years, located within New South Wales, Australia, who have never used e-cigarettes will be eligible to participate.

Exclusion criteria

None.

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ANZCTR · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026