CClinicalTrials.gg
CompletedNCT05783843Updated May 21, 2024Results posted

Comparison of Text and Pictorial Waterpipe Tobacco Warnings Among Young Adults

An interventional study of Pictorial Warnings and Text Warnings in Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking, sponsored by Wake Forest University Health Sciences. Completed at 1 site in United States. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 29 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2024-05-21.

Sponsored by Wake Forest University Health Sciences · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
1,215
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 29 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

The purpose of this study is to whether exposure to waterpipe tobacco warnings reduce young adults' intentions to smoke waterpipe in the future.

Read the detailed description

Young adults, defined as those 18-29 years old, have the highest rates of waterpipe tobacco smoking, which increases their risk of a variety of pulmonary, neurological, and oncological health conditions, among many others. This trial will randomly assign young adult waterpipe users or those susceptible to use to view waterpipe tobacco packages with text warning, pictorial warnings, or no warnings in a one-time online study. Participants will answer a series of questions regarding each package.

02

Conditions studied

  • Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking

Keywords

  • Waterpipe Tobacco Smoking
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Wake Forest University Health Sciences is the lead sponsor of 1,320 studies on the registry; 199 are open to participants now.

Of its 323 completed or terminated interventional studies of FDA-regulated products, 243 (75%) have results posted.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 29 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • United States (US) Resident
  • Has used waterpipe tobacco within the past year (self-report) OR
  • Has not used waterpipe tobacco within the past year but is susceptible to use (self-report)

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Younger than 18 or older than 29
  • Not a US Resident
  • Has not used waterpipe tobacco within the past year and is not susceptible to use (self-report)
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Prevention
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Participant)
Enrollment
1,215 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Pictorial Warnings

    Waterpipe tobacco packages shown with pictorial warnings about health harms of waterpipe smoking

    Behavioral: Pictorial Warnings

  • Experimental
    Text Warnings

    Waterpipe tobacco packages shown with text-only warning about health harms of waterpipe smoking

    Behavioral: Text Warnings

  • Experimental
    No Warnings (Control)

    Waterpipe tobacco package shown without a warning

    Behavioral: No Warnings (Control)

Interventions

  • BehavioralPictorial Warnings

    Participants will be shown 6 waterpipe tobacco packages with 6 different pictorial warnings about the health harms of waterpipe smoking. The order of the 6 packages within this trial arm will be randomized. Study investigators developed a fictitious waterpipe tobacco brand to be used in this study and designed the warnings for this arm.

  • BehavioralText Warnings

    Participants will be shown 6 waterpipe tobacco packages with 6 different text-only warnings about the health harms of waterpipe smoking. The order of the 6 packages within this trial arm will be randomized. Study investigators developed a fictitious waterpipe tobacco brand to be used in this study and designed the warnings for this arm.

  • BehavioralNo Warnings (Control)

    Participants will be shown a single package without a warning. Study investigators developed a fictitious waterpipe tobacco brand to be used in this study.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Behavioral Intentions

    The primary outcome is intention to smoke tobacco in a waterpipe within the next year, measured by averaging three items to create a composite score (adapted from research on cigarette smoking). The primary outcome will be measured after the exposure to waterpipe packages. Score ranges from 1-5 with higher score indicating greater intention to smoke hookah. 1. How interested are you in smoking hookah in the next year? 2. How likely are you to smoke hookah in the next year? 3. How much do you plan to smoke hookah in the next year? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) Very interested/likely/much

    Time frame: Minute 2

Other outcomes

  1. Product Appeal

    Three items will be used to measure how appealing each waterpipe tobacco package is to respondents, how likely they would be to try the product, and how much the packaging makes the respondent think that the product is harmful. 1. How appealing is this product to you? 2. How likely would you be to try this product? 3. How much does this packaging make you think this product is harmful? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) A little / (3) Somewhat / (4) A lot

    Time frame: Minute 2

  2. Perceived Message Effectiveness

    This outcome will be measured using the 3-item Perceived Measured Effectiveness scale created by Noar and colleagues that includes items on attitudes, risk beliefs, and intentions. Mean scores will be calculated. 1. How much does this warning make smoking hookah seem unpleasant to you? 2. How much does this warning make you concerned about the health effects of smoking hookah? 3. How much does this warning discourage you from wanting to smoke hookah? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

    Time frame: Minute 2

  3. Attention

    One item to measure self-reported attention to the warning. 1. How much does this warning grab your attention? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

    Time frame: Minute 1

  4. Emotional Reactions

    Three items to measure negative emotional reactions to the warning that the participant saw. Mean scores will be calculated. 1. How much does this warning make you feel anxious? 2. How much does this warning make you feel disgusted? 3. How much does this warning make you feel scared? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

    Time frame: Minute 2

  5. Cognitive Elaboration

    One item to measure the extent to which a participant reports the warning making them think about the risks of hookah smoking. 1. How much does this warning make you think about the health effects of smoking hookah? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

    Time frame: Minute 1

  6. Self-reported Learning

    One item to measure the extent to which respondents learned something new from the warning. 1. To what extent did you learn something new from this warning that you did not already know? Response Scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

    Time frame: Minute 1

  7. Social Interactions

    One item to measure self-reported likelihood of discussing the warning shown with one's social contacts within the week following the survey. 1. How likely are you to talk about this warning with others in the next week? Response Scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

    Time frame: Minute 1

  8. Knowledge

    Six items to measure knowledge of the potential health harms described by the warnings. 1. Hookah smoking causes heart damage. 2. Hookah smoking causes lung damage. 3. Hookah smoking causes mouth cancer. 4. Hookah smoking causes carbon monoxide poisoning. 5. Hookah smoking during pregnancy stunts fetal growth. 6. Hookah smoking causes nicotine addiction. Response scale: (1) True / (2) False / (3) I don't know

    Time frame: Minute 3

  9. Beliefs

    Five items to measure the respondent's belief of their own risk of experiencing each of the warning health harms. One item measures risk to pregnant people, rather than the self, since this item will be administered to all participants. 1. If I smoke hookah, I will damage my heart. 2. If I smoke hookah, I will damage my lungs. 3. If I smoke hookah, I will get mouth cancer. 4. If I smoke hookah, I will get carbon monoxide poisoning. 5. If a person smokes hookah during pregnancy, it will stunt fetal growth. 6. If I smoke hookah, I will become addicted. Response scale: (1) Strongly disagree / (2) Somewhat disagree / (3) Neither disagree nor agree / (4) Somewhat agree / (5) Strongly agree

    Time frame: Minute 3

  10. Worry

    Five/six items measuring a respondent's concern about their risk of warning health effects. Damage to fetuses will only be asked of respondents who report female sex at birth. 1. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about getting mouth cancer? 2. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about damaging your heart? 3. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about damaging your lungs? 4. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about getting carbon monoxide poisoning? 5. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about stunting fetal growth, if you were pregnant? 6. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about becoming addicted? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) A little / (3) Somewhat / (4) A lot

    Time frame: Minute 3

  11. Quit Motivation

    Participants who report past-year use will report, on a scale of 1-10, how motivated they are to quit smoking hookah.

    Time frame: Minute 1

07

Results

Posted May 21, 2024

Participant flow

Participant flow — Overall Study
MilestoneText WarningsPictorial WarningsNo Warnings (Control)
Started396402417
Completed396402417
Not completed000

Outcome measures

PrimaryBehavioral Intentions

The primary outcome is intention to smoke tobacco in a waterpipe within the next year, measured by averaging three items to create a composite score (adapted from research on cigarette smoking). The primary outcome will be measured after the exposure to waterpipe packages. Score ranges from 1-5 with higher score indicating greater intention to smoke hookah. 1. How interested are you in smoking hookah in the next year? 2. How likely are you to smoke hookah in the next year? 3. How much do you plan to smoke hookah in the next year? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) Very interested/likely/much

Time frame:
Minute 2
Reported as:
Mean · score on a scale
Behavioral Intentions
score on a scaleText WarningsPictorial WarningsNo Warnings (Control)
Behavioral Intentions1.83 ± 0.071.72 ± 0.052.21 ± 0.07
Other pre-specifiedProduct Appeal

Three items will be used to measure how appealing each waterpipe tobacco package is to respondents, how likely they would be to try the product, and how much the packaging makes the respondent think that the product is harmful. 1. How appealing is this product to you? 2. How likely would you be to try this product? 3. How much does this packaging make you think this product is harmful? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) A little / (3) Somewhat / (4) A lot

Time frame:
Minute 2

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedPerceived Message Effectiveness

This outcome will be measured using the 3-item Perceived Measured Effectiveness scale created by Noar and colleagues that includes items on attitudes, risk beliefs, and intentions. Mean scores will be calculated. 1. How much does this warning make smoking hookah seem unpleasant to you? 2. How much does this warning make you concerned about the health effects of smoking hookah? 3. How much does this warning discourage you from wanting to smoke hookah? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

Time frame:
Minute 2

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedAttention

One item to measure self-reported attention to the warning. 1. How much does this warning grab your attention? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

Time frame:
Minute 1

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedEmotional Reactions

Three items to measure negative emotional reactions to the warning that the participant saw. Mean scores will be calculated. 1. How much does this warning make you feel anxious? 2. How much does this warning make you feel disgusted? 3. How much does this warning make you feel scared? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

Time frame:
Minute 2

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedCognitive Elaboration

One item to measure the extent to which a participant reports the warning making them think about the risks of hookah smoking. 1. How much does this warning make you think about the health effects of smoking hookah? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

Time frame:
Minute 1

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedSelf-reported Learning

One item to measure the extent to which respondents learned something new from the warning. 1. To what extent did you learn something new from this warning that you did not already know? Response Scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

Time frame:
Minute 1

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedSocial Interactions

One item to measure self-reported likelihood of discussing the warning shown with one's social contacts within the week following the survey. 1. How likely are you to talk about this warning with others in the next week? Response Scale: (1) Not at all / (2) Very little / (3) Somewhat / (4) Quite a bit / (5) A great deal

Time frame:
Minute 1

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedKnowledge

Six items to measure knowledge of the potential health harms described by the warnings. 1. Hookah smoking causes heart damage. 2. Hookah smoking causes lung damage. 3. Hookah smoking causes mouth cancer. 4. Hookah smoking causes carbon monoxide poisoning. 5. Hookah smoking during pregnancy stunts fetal growth. 6. Hookah smoking causes nicotine addiction. Response scale: (1) True / (2) False / (3) I don't know

Time frame:
Minute 3

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedBeliefs

Five items to measure the respondent's belief of their own risk of experiencing each of the warning health harms. One item measures risk to pregnant people, rather than the self, since this item will be administered to all participants. 1. If I smoke hookah, I will damage my heart. 2. If I smoke hookah, I will damage my lungs. 3. If I smoke hookah, I will get mouth cancer. 4. If I smoke hookah, I will get carbon monoxide poisoning. 5. If a person smokes hookah during pregnancy, it will stunt fetal growth. 6. If I smoke hookah, I will become addicted. Response scale: (1) Strongly disagree / (2) Somewhat disagree / (3) Neither disagree nor agree / (4) Somewhat agree / (5) Strongly agree

Time frame:
Minute 3

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedWorry

Five/six items measuring a respondent's concern about their risk of warning health effects. Damage to fetuses will only be asked of respondents who report female sex at birth. 1. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about getting mouth cancer? 2. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about damaging your heart? 3. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about damaging your lungs? 4. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about getting carbon monoxide poisoning? 5. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about stunting fetal growth, if you were pregnant? 6. If you smoke hookah, how much would you worry about becoming addicted? Response scale: (1) Not at all / (2) A little / (3) Somewhat / (4) A lot

Time frame:
Minute 3

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Other pre-specifiedQuit Motivation

Participants who report past-year use will report, on a scale of 1-10, how motivated they are to quit smoking hookah.

Time frame:
Minute 1

Results for this outcome have not been posted.

Adverse events

Collected over From the time of consent up to four weeks. Non-serious events are listed at a 0% frequency threshold.

Adverse event summary by group
GroupDeathsSeriousOther
Text Warnings0/396 (0%)0/396 (0%)0/396 (0%)
Pictorial Warnings0/402 (0%)0/402 (0%)0/402 (0%)
No Warnings (Control)0/417 (0%)0/417 (0%)0/417 (0%)

Baseline characteristics

Age, Continuous
Age, Continuous(years)Text WarningsPictorial WarningsNo Warnings (Control)Total
Mean25 ± 3.224.9 ± 3.425 ± 3.325 ± 3.3
Sex/Gender, Customized
Sex/Gender, Customized(Participants)Text WarningsPictorial WarningsNo Warnings (Control)Total
Female253270266789
Male143131151425
Unknown/Not Reported0101
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)
Ethnicity (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Text WarningsPictorial WarningsNo Warnings (Control)Total
Hispanic or Latino1018677264
Not Hispanic or Latino295316340951
Unknown or Not Reported0000
Race (NIH/OMB)
Race (NIH/OMB)(Participants)Text WarningsPictorial WarningsNo Warnings (Control)Total
American Indian or Alaska Native41611
Asian25332684
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander0112
Black or African American829297271
White219236234689
More than one race34183082
Unknown or Not Reported32212376
Region of Enrollment
Region of Enrollment(participants)Text WarningsPictorial WarningsNo Warnings (Control)Total
United States3964024171215
08

Study locations

1 site
  • Wake Forest University Health Sciences
    Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, United States
09

References and documents

Study documents

  • Protocol and statistical analysis plan · Feb 21, 2024
  • Informed consent form · Jan 27, 2023

Documents are hosted by the registry — open the source record to download them.

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No

10

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on May 21, 2024, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
11

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05783843
Lead sponsor
Wake Forest University Health Sciences
Collaborators
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 24, 2023
Start date
Mar 9, 2023
Primary completion
Apr 7, 2023
Completion
Apr 7, 2023
Results posted
May 21, 2024
Last update
May 21, 2024

Study contacts

Erin Sutfin, PhD
principal investigator · Wake Forest University Health Sciences

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

Follow this study

Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.

Sign in to follow

Discussion

Questions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.

Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.

Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.

Start the discussion