VapeFree App Intervention

Vaping among teens and young adults has been shown to lead to worsened health outcomes, particularly impacting respiratory health. As many young people struggle to quit vaping, accessible and supportive resources are critical to early intervention and improving the health of this population.

For this study, we are developing an app intervention, VapeFree, in collaboration with researchers at University of South Carolina and University of Texas Health Houston. VapeFree contains educational content on vaping and mental health, motivational messaging and badges, and a supportive chatbot guide who checks-in and delivers information via interactive discussions to support participants. In these studies, participants will be recruited from social media to complete surveys asking about vaping attitudes and behaviors, other substance use, mental health, and social support. Some participants will also be asked to test out VapeFree to provide feedback on the app and to report the impact of this intervention on their vaping behaviors.

The goal of VapeFree is to develop a supportive, effective, and accessible tool for youth and young adults to use as they work toward quitting vaping.

• ONLINE SURVEY: (COMPLETED) 100 participants, 15-25 years old were recruited via social media and completed a survey assessing vaping attitudes, behaviors, and interest in quitting, as well as mental health symptoms and use of other substances
• CLINICAL TRIAL: (IN PREPARATION) 168 participants, 18–25 years old will be recruited from social media to complete baseline and follow up surveys and participate in a 3-month randomized clinical trial to evaluate the preliminary effectiveness of VapeFree on vaping outcomes

• Online Survey Findings
  • COMING SOON!

Community Impact:

• Community Health Services: Informing the development and refinement of VapeFree, an online intervention to support vaping cessation among youth and young adults across the US

Clinical Impact:

• Health Care Accessibility: Increasing treatment accessibility by connecting youth and young adults from social media to the VapeFree mobile app, mitigating barriers to in-person screening and providing timely support
• Health Promotion/Disease Reduction: Providing accessible resources to educate young adults on the health risks of vaping to motivate this group toward quitting to improve their long term health outcomes and overall well-being

Economic Impact:

• Cost Savings: VapeFree is a free, online intervention where young people can get access support to quit vaping. The development of such technologies are needed to allow for early intervention among this group to reduce negative health outcomes and long-term costs associated with nicotine and tobacco-related harms.

Policy Impact:

• Scientific Research Reports: Results of the current study may inform policy surrounding the marketing of and access to vaping products among youth and young adults, such as regulations aimed at reducing exposure to content which may encourage uptake, particularly on social media