April 4-6, 2024 • Hyatt Regency • Lexington, KY
Innovations in Health Communication
Innovations in Health Communication
Abstract: The Villainous Vape: Exploring How a Novel Comic Book Supports Knowledge of E-Cigarette Quitting Resources
Background/Purpose:
Youth curiosity and engagement in new products and trends has always played a pivotal role in the foundation of many young people’s interests. These trends or products provide a sense of comfort and conformity for many young people, and are often harmless. However, products like e-cigarettes or vapes have unfortunately become a popular trend among many young people, and has led to a significant increase in dangerous health consequences among youth. Nationally, approximately 7.7% of middle and high schoolers report being current e-cigarette users. However, of these students, over half report that they want to or intend to quit vaping.
Despite the reported desire by youth to quit e-cigarettes, many have tried and been unsuccessful. It is critical to explore new and innovative ways to communicate about the dangers of e-cigarettes to prevent initiation, while providing resources and support for those seeking to quit e-cigarettes. By utilizing compelling story lines alongside a visual approach, we can explore youth engagement of the story, relatability of characters, and examine support systems.The purpose of this session is to synthesize youth access and knowledge of quitting resources, as well as perceptions of quitting ability among Kentucky youth who were introduced to the novel comic. .
Method:
The Villainous Vape Comic Book was developed by University of Kentucky faculty and staff to create a relatable narrative that is research-based on e-cigarette use among college students. The purpose of a cross-sectional exploratory research design is to establish perceptions of the comic, visual appeal, and overarching themes after reading it. Data were collected through an online survey distributed in partnership with four after school programs serving 6th through 12th graders (N=77), and through 60-minute focus groups conducted with a small subset (N=31) of these youth respondents.
Results:
Among participants, nearly 70% of current and ever- e-cigarette users reported low confidence in finding access to quitting resources or support, compared to 30% of never-users. When asked about the comic’s ability to represent support systems, 100% of current and ever-users reported that they believe the comic was a good representation on how to find support with friends and family when quitting e-cigarettes. In addition, 80% of current and ever-users said they thought the comic book would be a good resource for a peer looking to quit using e-cigarettes. Out of all the respondents, over 90% indicated that the comic book discouraged them from vaping.
Conclusion:
Youth perceptions of quitting tobacco products like e-cigarettes require novel methods to communicate available tailored resources. Communication methods should promote empowering youth to make informed decisions about their health, youth knowledge of support resources, and align with youth interests. The ‘Villainous Vape’ shows significant promise as a public health strategy to communicate the resources available for quitting tobacco to youth.
Youth curiosity and engagement in new products and trends has always played a pivotal role in the foundation of many young people’s interests. These trends or products provide a sense of comfort and conformity for many young people, and are often harmless. However, products like e-cigarettes or vapes have unfortunately become a popular trend among many young people, and has led to a significant increase in dangerous health consequences among youth. Nationally, approximately 7.7% of middle and high schoolers report being current e-cigarette users. However, of these students, over half report that they want to or intend to quit vaping.
Despite the reported desire by youth to quit e-cigarettes, many have tried and been unsuccessful. It is critical to explore new and innovative ways to communicate about the dangers of e-cigarettes to prevent initiation, while providing resources and support for those seeking to quit e-cigarettes. By utilizing compelling story lines alongside a visual approach, we can explore youth engagement of the story, relatability of characters, and examine support systems.The purpose of this session is to synthesize youth access and knowledge of quitting resources, as well as perceptions of quitting ability among Kentucky youth who were introduced to the novel comic. .
Method:
The Villainous Vape Comic Book was developed by University of Kentucky faculty and staff to create a relatable narrative that is research-based on e-cigarette use among college students. The purpose of a cross-sectional exploratory research design is to establish perceptions of the comic, visual appeal, and overarching themes after reading it. Data were collected through an online survey distributed in partnership with four after school programs serving 6th through 12th graders (N=77), and through 60-minute focus groups conducted with a small subset (N=31) of these youth respondents.
Results:
Among participants, nearly 70% of current and ever- e-cigarette users reported low confidence in finding access to quitting resources or support, compared to 30% of never-users. When asked about the comic’s ability to represent support systems, 100% of current and ever-users reported that they believe the comic was a good representation on how to find support with friends and family when quitting e-cigarettes. In addition, 80% of current and ever-users said they thought the comic book would be a good resource for a peer looking to quit using e-cigarettes. Out of all the respondents, over 90% indicated that the comic book discouraged them from vaping.
Conclusion:
Youth perceptions of quitting tobacco products like e-cigarettes require novel methods to communicate available tailored resources. Communication methods should promote empowering youth to make informed decisions about their health, youth knowledge of support resources, and align with youth interests. The ‘Villainous Vape’ shows significant promise as a public health strategy to communicate the resources available for quitting tobacco to youth.