Interventions to mitigate vaping misinformation: protocol for a scoping review

Abstract

Background The impact of misinformation about vapes’ relative harms compared with smoking may lead to increased tobacco-related burden of disease. To date, no systematic efforts have been made to chart interventions that mitigate vaping-related misinformation. We plan to conduct a scoping review that seeks to fill gaps in the current knowledge of interventions that mitigate vaping-related misinformation. Methods A scoping review focusing on interventions that mitigate vaping-related misinformation will be conducted. We will search (no date restrictions) MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science Core Collection, Global Health, ERIC, and Sociological Abstracts. Gray literature will be identified using Disaster Lit, Google Scholar, Open Science Framework, governmental websites, and preprint servers (e.g., EuropePMC, PsyArXiv, MedRxiv, JMIR Preprints). Study selection will conform to Joanna Briggs Institute Reviewers’ Manual 2020 Methodology for JBI Scoping Reviews. Only English language, original studies will be considered for inclusion. Two reviewers will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. A narrative summary of findings will be conducted. Data analysis will involve quantitative (e.g., frequencies) and qualitative (e.g., content and thematic analysis) methods. Where possible, a single effect size of exposure to the mitigation of vaping-related misinformation will be calculated per sample. Similarly, where possible, each study will be coded for moderating characteristics to find and account for systematic differences in the size of the effect or outcome that is being analyzed. Quality will be appraised with the study quality assessment tools utilized by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Findings will be subjected to several different publication bias tests: Egger’s regression test, Begg and Mazumdar’s ran correlation test, and generation of a funnel plot with effect sizes plotted against a corresponding standard error. Discussion Original research is urgently needed to design interventions to mitigate vaping-related misinformation. The planned scoping review will help to address this gap. Systematic review registration Open Science Framework osf/io/hy3tk.

Online Interventions Addressing Health Misinformation: Protocol for a Scoping Review

“…For example, various studies approach interventions on social media alone [3], [4], disregarding other online platforms. In their scoping review on psychological interventions, Gwiaździński, et al [20] reported on development guidelines but did not extract frameworks or report on the characteristics of misinformation. Other scoping reviews focused narrowly on misinformation one health concern, such as HPV [17], vaccine hesitancy [18], COVID-19 [19], and vaping [20].…”

“…In their scoping review on psychological interventions, Gwiaździński, et al [20] reported on development guidelines but did not extract frameworks or report on the characteristics of misinformation. Other scoping reviews focused narrowly on misinformation one health concern, such as HPV [17], vaccine hesitancy [18], COVID-19 [19], and vaping [20]. This review aims to take a holistic approach by looking at the theoretical and practical aspects of interventions countering misinformation, namely, conceptual frameworks, population characteristics, misinformation characteristics and practical considerations of design and implementations of interventions.…”

Online platforms' framing around vaping

“…The recent introduction of alternative forms of nicotine products into the marketplace (e.g., e-cigarettes/vapes, heated tobacco products, and smokeless tobacco) has led to a more complex informational environment. [1][2][3][4] The scientific consensus is that vape aerosol contains fewer numbers and lower levels of toxicants than smoke from combustible tobacco cigarettes. 5 Among youth in the United States, adolescent nicotine vaping use increased from 2017 to 2019 but then started declining in 2020, which includes a decline in daily vaping as well.…”

“…The recent introduction of alternative forms of nicotine products into the marketplace (e.g., e‐cigarettes/vapes, heated tobacco products, and smokeless tobacco) has led to a more complex informational environment 1–4 . The scientific consensus is that vape aerosol contains fewer numbers and lower levels of toxicants than smoke from combustible tobacco cigarettes 5 .…”