A Brief Intervention Programme on ASP

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The brief intervention comprises a 4-page worksheet used in the classroom (main intervention) and subsequent weekly e-messages through WhatsApp (booster intervention). The worksheets for both groups will be printed in colour, and mainly contain pictures and simple texts. Students will be asked to provide smartphone numbers of themselves and their parents for receiving the booster interventions. After sending 4-6 e-messages in 4 weeks, students will complete a 1-month follow-up assessment.

Official Title
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A Brief Intervention Programme on Alternative Smoking Products

Conditions
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Alternative Smoking Products

Intervention / Treatment
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* Other: Worksheets for ASP
* Other: Worksheets for SSB
* Other: E-messages for ASP
* Other: E-messages for SSB


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Parents and children should understand Chinese. Parents' consent to their children's participation. Exclusion Criteria: N/A
Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Other
Allocation: Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: Alternative smoking products (ASP)<br> | Other: Worksheets for ASP<br>* The ASP intervention will cover the harms and misleading marketing strategies of ASPs and other related information.<br>Other: E-messages for ASP<br>* In the subsequent month after the main intervention, students in the ASP group will receive 4-6 e-messages on ASPs, after which students will be invited to complete a 1-month follow-up assessment.<br>|
| Active Comparator: Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB)<br> | Other: Worksheets for SSB<br>* The SSB intervention will cover the general information on SSBs, such as the sugar content of SSBs, nutrition labels and the harms of SSBs.<br>Other: E-messages for SSB<br>* In the subsequent month after the main intervention, students in the SSB group will receive 4-6 e-messages on SSBs, after which students will be invited to complete a 1-month follow-up assessment.<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Knowledge on the harms and misleading marketing strategies of ASPs | Students will report their opinions towards 5 statements: Children who use e-cigarettes are more likely to smoke cigarettes in the future; Hazards of secondhand smoke of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products are slight; Nicotine content in heated tobacco products is lower than in the cigarettes, which is more difficult to get addicted; There are a variety of carcinogens in the heated tobacco products; Tobacco industries do everything they can to get young people to use tobacco products. All the statements have 5 options from definitely no to definitely yes. The options will be recoded into 0-4 or 4-0, as appropriate, with higher scores indicating knowing more about the harms and misleading marketing strategies of ASPs. | Immediately after intervention | 
| Attitudes towards ASPs | Students will report their opinions towards 2 questions: Do you think the usage of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products will harm your health? There will be 11 options from definitely no harm to definitely harm. Do you accept the primary students use e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products? There will be 11 options from definitely unacceptable to definitely acceptable. | Immediately after intervention | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Intention to use ASPs | If one of your good friends offers you an e-cigarette or heated tobacco product, ask you to have a few puffs, and no one will know about this as no more smoking in the future. Will you use them? There will be 11 options from definitely no to definitely yes. | Immediately after intervention | 
| Knowledge on the harms and misleading marketing strategies of ASPs | Students will report their opinions towards 5 statements: Hazards of e-cigarettes are slight, can only cause minor health problems; Reliable evidence shows that e-cigarettes can help quit smoking cigarettes; Heated tobacco products contain tar, can cause a variety of cancers; Heated tobacco products are harm reduction products, which is less harmful than cigarettes; Tobacco industries conceal the harms of tobacco products for commercial gain. All the statements have 5 options from definitely no to definitely yes. The options will be recoded into 0-4 or 4-0, as appropriate, with higher scores indicating knowing more about the harms and misleading marketing strategies of ASPs. | 1-month follow-up | 
| Attitudes towards ASPs | Students will report their opinions towards 2 questions: Do you think the usage of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products will harm your health? There will be 11 options from definitely no harm to definitely harm. Do you accept the primary students use e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products? There will be 11 options from definitely unacceptable to definitely acceptable. | 1-month follow-up | 
| Intention to use ASPs | If one of your good friends offers you an e-cigarette or heated tobacco product, ask you to have a few puffs, and no one will know about this as no more smoking in the future. Will you use them? There will be 11 options from definitely no to definitely yes. | 1-month follow-up |