A formative evaluation of an adolescent online E-cigarette prevention program

Abstract

Purpose

This study is a formative evaluation of an adolescent online e-cigarette prevention program (Clearing the Vapor) giving attention to identifying higher risk adolescent populations, confirming the theory of change, and assessing short-term outcomes.

Design/methodology/approach

The evaluation was conducted using online pre-test and post-test survey data collected from adolescent program participants age 10–18 from 2019 to 2021. Analyses included risk ratios on perceived risk, self-efficacy, and behavioral intentions across demographic variables. Pre-test and post-test comparisons were conducted with analysis involving the t-test and the McNemar test.

Findings

Prevalence of e-cigarette use was higher among males, older adolescents, and in racial/ethnic groups other than Whites and Asians. Adolescents with lower confidence to say “no” were more likely to use e-cigarettes. Greater perception of harm by using e-cigarettes increased the likelihood of adolescents feeling competent to explain to peers the harmful effects of e-cigarettes. Mean change in commitment levels to not use e-cigarettes increased for males and females, all ages, and racial/ethnic groups other than non-Hispanic Blacks and American Indians. Improvement in non-Hispanic Whites was significantly greater than for non-Hispanic Blacks, American Indians, and Hispanics.

Originality/value

Improvement in programming should give careful attention to the incorporation of more prevention activities and to materials tailored specifically to racial/ethnic participants. As a theory of change, findings support the utility of the Clearing the Vape prevention programming to address perceptions of harm that e-cigarettes are safe, confidence in explaining the harmful effects of use, and the development of skills to resist use.

Citation

Merrill, R.M. and Hanson, C.L. (2022), "A formative evaluation of an adolescent online E-cigarette prevention program", Health Education, Vol. 122 No. 6, pp. 617-632. https://doi.org/10.1108/HE-06-2021-0092