Co-creating and disseminating substance use and vaping educational videos, question prompt lists, and other resources in partnership with community organizations and youth in Western North Carolina

Objective

To co-design resources to empower youth to ask questions about vaping and substance use and to disseminate the developed materials in Western North Carolina.

Methods

Two youth advisory boards were formed in Western North Carolina in partnership with two community organizations. Focus groups were conducted with youth, parents, and other stakeholders on what resources to design and how to disseminate them. Dissemination utilized a three-pronged approach which included emailing organizations, in-person events, and social media campaigns. Website analytics were measured utilizing Google Analytics. The intrinsic analytics from X and Instagram were also tracked.

Results

Eleven videos about vaping and substance use were developed along with question prompt lists, a trivia game, and a toolkit for use by educators. There were 1175 impressions on X, and the substance use and vaping content posted on Instagram reached 581 accounts during the dissemination period. The substance use and vaping videos were viewed over 500 times during the dissemination period. Over 10,000 students in Western North Carolina were reached through in-person events.

Conclusion

Videos and other resources on the prevention or cessation of substance use and vaping were created and disseminated using a three-pronged approach. The co-designed materials can be used by youth to empower them to ask health care providers, educators, and other adults questions about vaping and substance use.

Innovation

The vaping and substance use resources were developed for youth by youth. The materials were placed on a website where individuals can anonymously go to learn more about these topics.