Finding why teens vape to guide better quitting programs
Official title: A Motivation-Based Adolescent Vaping Typology to Inform Cessation Interventions
Funded at University of Louisville · NIH-11182570 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will identify different reasons teens use e-cigarettes to help design quitting programs for adolescents.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Louisville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Louisville, United States) |
| Project start | September 4, 2024 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $195,625 |
| NIH project number | 5R34CA287718-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11182570 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Teens who currently use e-cigarettes (vape) and can answer questions about their reasons for vaping, typically recruited in the adolescent age range.
✕Less likely to help
People who do not use e-cigarettes, adults, or teens needing immediate clinical treatment for severe nicotine dependence are unlikely to benefit directly from this project.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will ask teens who vape about their reasons for using e-cigarettes through surveys and brief interviews. They will use those answers to group teens into different motivation-based types (for example, social use, stress relief, curiosity, or addiction). The team will use these groups to create quitting supports that match each type of vaper. They may also test small, tailored quitting approaches to learn which ideas teens find acceptable.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could lead to quitting programs better matched to why individual teens vape, increasing the chances they stop using e-cigarettes.
How similar studies have gone: Tailored quitting approaches have helped adult smokers in other studies, but programs specifically designed for adolescent e-cigarette users are still limited and relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Louisville
Louisville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcleish, Alison C — University of Louisville
- Study coordinator: Mcleish, Alison C
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.