Assessing the reach and engagement of three anti-vaping messages on Facebook Targeting Australian Youth: a protocol for a randomised trial.

Background: Vaping among 18-24-year-old Australians has increased from 5.8% in 2019 to 21% in 2023. This protocol describes a trial to investigate the dissemination and engagement achieved by three anti-vaping messages on Facebook.

Methods: This research employs a 3-arm randomised experimental design. Three distinct anti-vaping messages will be disseminated via Facebook using Meta Ads Manager. Each arm has a message that focuses on either health risks, environmental impact, or anti-vape industry sentiment. The campaign will run for three months. The primary outcome is the engagement rate as a measure of the effectiveness of anti-vaping message, and the secondary outcomes include network indicators: size, density, centralisation, and centrality to evaluate the extent to which the messages are disseminated. Participants will be randomly exposed to one of the three messages. Data on reach and engagement will be compared across the groups.

Discussion: This study will provide insights into the dissemination of social media-based anti-vaping campaigns. By evaluating engagement rates and network indicators, the research aims to identify which message themes engage most with young Australians. The findings will contribute to the development of more effective public health strategies for vaping cessation and prevention among youth.

Trial Registration: The study was registered on July 19th 2024 with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ACTRN12624000885594).