Social Media Anti-vaping for Sexual and Gender Minority Teens
Official title: Project SMART: Social Media Anti-vaping Messages to Reduce ENDS Use Among Sexual and Gender Minority Teens
Funded at University of Pennsylvania · NIH-11362786 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This effort creates and shares anti-vaping content on social media specifically for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer teens to help them avoid or stop vaping.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pennsylvania NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | July 1, 2021 |
| Project end | April 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $658,521 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA054236-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11362786 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are sexual and gender minority youth between 13 and 18 years old who currently vape or are at risk of starting.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not sexual and gender minority youth or are outside the 13-18 age range may not directly benefit from this specific intervention.
What this research studies
We know that sexual and gender minority (SGM) youth are more likely to start vaping compared to other teens, which can lead to serious health problems later in life. Current anti-vaping campaigns often don't connect well with SGM youth because they don't address their unique experiences and beliefs. This project aims to develop and test social media content that is specifically designed for SGM teens aged 13-18. Our goal is to see if these tailored messages are more effective at preventing vaping than general anti-vaping messages.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help reduce vaping rates among sexual and gender minority youth, leading to better long-term health and fewer tobacco-related illnesses for this group.
How similar studies have gone: While the concept of culturally tailored health communication has shown promise, there is a critical need for more evidence-based interventions specifically designed to reduce vaping among sexual and gender minority youth.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tan, Andy Sl — University of Pennsylvania
- Study coordinator: Tan, Andy Sl
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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.