Systematic Review: Interventions to Quit Tobacco Products for Young Adults

Abstract

Introduction: Young adulthood is an important period for smoking cessation; however, there is limited evidence of smoking-cessation interventions for young adults. The aims of this study were to identify evidence-based smoking-cessation strategies for young adults, examine gaps in the literature regarding smoking cessation among young adults, and discuss methodological issues/challenges related to smoking-cessation studies for young adults. Methods: Studies tested interventions for smoking cessation among young adults (18 to 26 years old), excluding pilot studies. Five main search engines were used, including PubMed, the Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), EMBASE, PsycINFO, and Web of Science. The search was conducted for articles published from January 2009 to December 2019. Intervention characteristics and cessation outcomes were reviewed, and methodological quality was evaluated. Results: A total of 14 articles met inclusion criteria, including randomized controlled studies and repeated cross-sectional studies. Interventions included the following: text messaging (4/14, 28.6%), social media use (2/14, 14.3%), web-or app-based intervention (2/14, 14.3%), telephone counseling (1/14, 7.1%), in-person counseling (3/14, 21.4%), pharmacological (1/14, 7.1%), and self-help booklet (1/14, 7.1%). The intervention duration and frequency of contact with participants differed and yielded varied outcomes. Conclusions: Multiple interventions are used for young adults’ smoking cessation. Available literature is inconclusive about the type of intervention that is most effective for young adults. However, the following interventions showed promising results based on RCT studies: text-based, social media, phone call, booklet-based counseling, and pharmacological. Future studies must compare the relative effectiveness of these intervention modalities.

Social Media in Controlling Tobacco Epidemic Among Adolescents and Young Adults: A Literature Review

“…Social media is recognized as an engaging platform for behavioral interventions among young adults (Park et al, 2022). Various studies utilizing different types of social media have demonstrated the benefits of using this medium in tobacco control interventions among adolescents and young adults.…”