Pilot Study of Communication for Dual Users of Cigarettes and E-cigarettes

July 21, 2026 updated by: UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Designing and Evaluating Communication for Dual Users of E-cigarettes and Combustible Cigarettes

The study is a pilot test of effectiveness of communication campaign ads on interest in quitting combustible cigarettes and e-cigarettes. Over the course of 5 weeks, participants are sent ads that are designed to encourage quitting and then answer surveys.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Qualtrics Services will enroll 90 US adult dual users to participate in this study using existing panels. Inclusion criteria are current cigarette and e-cigarette use, age 18 or older, and ability read and answer questions in English, and willingness to receive text messages. Qualtrics will contact, screen, consent and randomize participants into 1 of 2 study arms: exposure to a 3 cycles of 6 ads encouraging them to quit smoking and vaping simultaneously or 6 ads encouraging them to quit sequentially (quitting smoking first followed by quitting vaping). The ads (one per day) are presented along with brief daily surveys. The primary outcome in intent to quit smoking.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
90

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: M. Justin Byron, PhD
  • Phone Number: 919-966-3292
  • Email: jbyron@unc.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • North Carolina
      • Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States, 27599
        • Recruiting
        • Recruitment is online and national, using existing Qualtrics survey panels
        • Contact:
          • M. Justin Byron, PhD
          • Phone Number: 919-966-3292
          • Email: jbyron@unc.edu

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • use cigarettes every day or some days
  • use e-cigarettes every day or some days
  • age 18 or older
  • ability to read and answer questions in English

Exclusion Criteria:

  • under age 18

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Prevention
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Simultaneous quit messages
Participants in this arm receive messages encouraging them to quit both cigarettes and e-cigarettes at the same time.
Other: communication
Participants view an image that is an ad designed to encourage them to quit their use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
Other Names:
  • advertising
Experimental: Sequential quit messages
Participants in this arm receive messages encouraging them to quit cigarettes first, followed by e-cigarettes.
Other: communication
Participants view an image that is an ad designed to encourage them to quit their use of cigarettes and e-cigarettes.
Other Names:
  • advertising

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Cigarette quit intention
Time Frame: Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
A three question scale of interest in quitting cigarettes: How [interested are you in quitting / likely are you to quit / much do you intend to quit] smoking cigarettes in the next 6 months? 4 point response scale.
Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
E-cigarette quit intention
Time Frame: Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
A three question scale of interest in quitting vaping (e-cigarettes): How [interested are you in quitting / likely are you to quit / much do you intend to quit] vaping in the next 6 months? 4 point response scale.
Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
Cigarette quit attempts
Time Frame: Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
A question: In the last 7 days, have you attempted to stop smoking cigarettes? (yes/no)
Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
E-cigarette quit attempts
Time Frame: Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
A question: In the last 7 days, have you attempted to stop vaping? (yes/no)
Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
Forgoing cigarettes
Time Frame: Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
A question: In the last 7 days, how many times did you stop yourself from having a cigarette because you wanted to smoke less? [numerical response 0-250]
Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
Forgoing e-cigarettes
Time Frame: Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)
A question: In the last 7 days, how many times did you stop yourself from vaping because you wanted to smoke less? [numerical response 0-250]
Measured at baseline (Day 0) weekly surveys (Days 7, 14), post 1 survey (Day 21), and post 2 survey (Day 35)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center

Collaborators

Collaborators

An organization other than the sponsor that provides support for a clinical study. This support may include activities related to funding, design, implementation, data analysis, or reporting.
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

Helpful Links

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
April 24, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
September 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
September 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
May 14, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
May 14, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
May 20, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
July 23, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
July 21, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
July 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • 25-2560
  • K01CA253234 (U.S. NIH Grant/Contract)

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

UNDECIDED

IPD Plan Description

With the small sample size, we would want to ensure participants are not identifiable.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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