Lipkus Submits NIH R01 Application

Kudos to Isaac Lipkus, professor, and his entire team for the submission of their NIH R01 application entitled "Effects of Risk Communication on Preventing Waterpipe Tobacco Uptake Among Susceptible Young Adults." This proposal requests funding for a four and half year period with a start date of December 1, 2020.

In the United States, about 25% of young adults are open to trying waterpipe tobacco (i.e., hookah); that is, they are susceptible to waterpipe tobacco smoking (WTS). Many will go on and experiment with WTS. This is a public health problem because WTS is harmful and addictive. Yet, susceptible young adults downplay harms and addictiveness of WTS, beliefs that promote initiating use. Thus, there is a pressing need to test risk messaging interventions to stop susceptible young adults from starting WTS. To this end, we found that four short videos on harms of WTS covering separately short- and long-term health effects, WTS myths, addiction, or second/third-hand smoke reduced susceptible young adults’ interest in WTS and increased negative health beliefs compared to those who did not see a video. We now wish to test how the number of these videos watched (i.e., dose) deters WTS initiation and mediators of effects.

We will enroll a nationally representative sample of 1500 young adults ages 18-30 who are susceptible to WTS using the company, Ipsos, to a 9-month randomized controlled trial (RCT). Participants will be randomized to one of four study arms that involves watching zero (attention control) to three short videos on WTS harms spaced every two weeks post-baseline. Participants will complete online surveys at baseline, 2-, 4-, and 6-weeks post-baseline and at 3-, 6- and 9- months post-baseline. The two primary aims are to: 1) Compare effects of treatment doses (0 to 3 videos on harms of WTS) on having ever initiated WTS during the 9-month trial; and 2) Identify mediators of dose effects on initiating WTS (e.g., perceived risks, attitudes, risk beliefs). This study is impactful and innovative. We lack tests of strategies to prevent WTS targeting susceptible young adults, a high-risk group.

This will be the first prospective RCT to test efficacy of dose using varied videos on WTS harms and mediators to prevent WTS initiation. If effective, these videos can be disseminated widely on social media (e.g., YouTube), the internet and health educational institutions. [To begin to address dissemination, we will explore how health organizations (e.g., American Cancer Society, Society for Public Health Education) and colleges/universities make use of the videos.] We will identify constructs that predict who initiates WTS to refine interventions and theoretical underpinnings of trajectories of WTS. All told, we will obtain critical and needed data to stop WTS among susceptible young adults that may have implications to prevent other risky behaviors among susceptible groups.