Social media support groups for youth nicotine vaping cessation: a randomized clinical trial
Mené en Californie sur 500 jeunes utilisant la cigarette électronique et ayant l'intention d'arrêter (âge moyen : 18,9 ans ; 39,8 % de filles), cet essai randomisé évalue l'efficacité, du point de vue de l'abstinence pendant 7 jours, de groupes de soutien sur Instagram pour l'aide au sevrage
Introduction: E-cigarettes are the most frequently used tobacco product among adolescents and young adults. Over 40% of adolescents who used e-cigarettes tried quitting in 2023, but few programs support them, particularly on social media.
Objective: Test the efficacy of e-cigarette cessation support groups on Instagram in a randomized controlled trial.
Study Design: 500 participants were randomized to intervention or active control with baseline, 5 week (end of program), 3 and 6 month follow up surveys in 2022-2024.
Setting: Healthy volunteers in California were recruited via social media advertisements.
Participants: Participants reported age 13-21 years, English literacy, using social media at least 4 days per week, using e-cigarettes at least weekly, access to device with photo capability, considering quitting within 6 months.
Interventions: Instagram direct message support groups for 5 weeks provided motivational interviewing, social support, skill building, and group quit attempts. Controls were referred to state quitline resources including telephone, online, texting or mobile app.
Main Outcome: 7-day point prevalence abstinence from e-cigarette use.
Results: Data was analyzed in 2024-2025. Mean age was 18.9 years, 39.8% female, 51.2% male; 41.1% non-Hispanic white, 17.2% Hispanic, and 27.4% multiracial; 35.1% sexual minority. 70.4% used e-cigarettes daily, and 78.2% within 30 minutes of waking. Retention rates were 43.6% at 5 weeks, 23.0% at 3 months and 28.0% at 6 months. Generalized linear mixed models (GLMM) in a time-averaged difference examined 7-day point prevalence abstinence accounting for repeated measures and clustering effects. Intention to treat analysis counting missing as vaping found greater abstinence in the intervention group (18.2% vs 11.8%) (OR = 2.15, 95% CI = 1.1, 4.2, p=0.025). Complete case analysis also found greater abstinence over 6 months for intervention (53.9%) compared to control (40.4%) (OR = 2.07, 95%CI = 1.21, 3.52, p=0.008). There were no differences in vaping reduction, attitudes, or use of evidence-based methods. Intervention participants reported higher social support with no difference in overall program evaluation.
Conclusions: Social media support groups were acceptable to diverse young people and improved abstinence rates on average over 6 months compared to quitline referral.
American Journal of Preventive Medicine , article en libre accès, 2026