Utilizing Evidence-Based Education to Increase Parental Knowledge of Adolescent Vaping

Abstract

Purpose: This quality improvement project aimed to provide the parents of adolescents aged 11-14 years with the evidence-based parental toolkit handout from CATCH My Breath to increase their knowledge about electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) and their associated health risks.Background: E-cigarettes are now the most popular nicotine delivery system in the United States. In 2022, 1 in 10 middle and high school students self-reported using e-cigarettes in the last month. Many physical and mental health risks are associated with using e-cigarettes, some of which specifically affect adolescents during a time of growth and development. Parents can influence their child’s behaviors actively. Improving parents' knowledge can indirectly decrease adolescents' future use of e-cigarettes. Pediatric primary care providers are in a unique position to educate about e-cigarettes and the dangers they pose to one’s health and provide support and resources for those in need. Methods: This project utilized pre- and post-educational surveys to assess changes in parental knowledge of e-cigarettes and their associated health risks after delivering the evidence-based CATCH My Breath parental toolkit handout and associated educational session. Through convenience sampling, participants were recruited from the Banner Health Center at Queen Creek. Participants were parents of adolescents aged 11-14 years attending well-child visits. Descriptive statistics and a paired t-test were utilized to analyze the results. Results: A total of eight participants completed the pre-educational survey, received the CATCH My Breath parental toolkit handout and educational session, and completed the post-educational survey. Data analysis showed a statistically significant increase in knowledge scores from pre- to post-educational surveys (p<0.001). Participants also reported satisfaction with the educational session. Conclusions: The evidence-based parental toolkit handout on e-cigarettes and their associated health risks increased parental knowledge on this topic. This intervention was successfully implemented at the Banner Health Center at Queen Creek and can be utilized for future application at well-child visits at this clinic.