Identifying Student Opinion Leaders to Lead E-cigarette Interventions

Identifying Student Opinion Leaders to Lead E-cigarette Interventions

This research will explore the feasibility of leveraging social network analysis to identify 6th grade opinion leaders to lead a school-based e-cigarette intervention. The project will be conducted for 6th graders in 8 schools in the Pittsburgh area.

Specific Aim 1: Participants will be recruited from 8 Pittsburgh-area schools. The investigators will conduct a social network survey for all 6th graders in each school. Students will be asked to identify their closest peers based on several relationship dynamics: friendship, opinion leadership, academic support, and personal support.

Specific Aim 2: The investigators will adapt modules from CATCH My Breath, an evidence-based, school-implemented e-cigarette intervention supported by University of Texas and MD Anderson Cancer Center. The 8 schools will be randomized to receive the intervention led by either (1) an adult content-expert or (2) a peer-nominated opinion leader to students who nominated them or (3) a peer-nominated opinion leader to students who did not nominate them. Surveys will be administered before and after the intervention. Primary outcomes will be acceptability and feasibility measures, including (1) recruitment and (2) retention rates. Secondary outcomes will include e-cigarette use, intention-to-use e-cigarettes, and knowledge about e-cigarettes.

Inclusion Criteria:

• 6th grade student at Linton, Founder's Hall, Woodland Hills, Steel Valley, Greensburgh Salem, Freedom, Marion, or Rostraver schools

Exclusion Criteria:

• Students who are unable to read the surveys will be excluded from data collection. However, all students will still participate in the e-cigarette program