You are being asked to take part in research conducted by Kymberle L. Sterling, DrPH, MPH and Andrea Villanti, PhD who are faculty in the Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy at the Rutgers School of Public Health. The purpose of this study is to develop and deliver public health messages for Black adults. We anticipate that 1,000 subjects will take part in the research.

This study is a randomized trial that will take place over a one-year period.

You will be asked to complete five brief (10-15 minute) online surveys over one year, approximately every 3-months (i.e., baseline, 3-month follow-up, 6-month follow-up, 9-month follow-up, 1-year follow-up).

These surveys will ask you to share your thoughts and opinions about menthol cigarettes and flavored cigars, tobacco policies, and messages that you see online and in your community.

After you complete enrollment in the study, you will be assigned randomly (like a coin toss) to one of two study groups:

Group A: Complete online surveys

Group B: Complete online surveys and view brief videos at the end of each survey.

All study procedures will take place remotely, with surveys conducted online. We may discontinue you from the study if we believe the information you provide during the survey is intentionally falsified. In the event this happens, you would not be reimbursed for your survey completion. If this occurs and you feel this is in error, please contact our research team at disinformationproject@ints.rutgers.edu.

In this study, you will not have any more risks than you would in a normal day of life. Please know that data sent over the Internet or via text message may not be secure. Your answers may not be kept private, but we have put safeguards in place to protect against the risks.  

Dr. Sterling and Villanti’s team have tried to reduce this risk by using special procedures like placing your data behind a university firewall. Your data will be stored in a locked folder on a firewall-protected computer that is on a secure server. Only the Principal Investigators and project staff will have access to these data. Second, the amount of time required to complete the survey is also a concern. You may get tired when we are asking you questions or you are completing questionnaires. We have dealt with this by keeping the survey as short as possible. Also, some questions may make you feel uncomfortable. If that happens, you can skip those questions or withdraw from the study altogether. If you decide to quit at any time before you have finished the survey your answers will NOT be recorded.

There are no direct benefits to you for taking part in this research. You will be contributing to knowledge about public health education on menthol cigarette and flavored cigars that may help the study team and our sponsor, the National Institutes of Health, National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities.  

You will get up to a total of $75 in digital gift cards for being a part of the study. The total of $75 would come from receiving a $10 online gift card for completing the baseline survey, $15 for 3-month, 6-month, 9-month follow up survey completion, and $20 for final 12-month follow up survey.

You must complete the full survey to receive the incentive for that survey. Incentives will not be prorated. You will receive the incentives immediately after you have completed the survey. The incentive will be delivered as online gift cards (e.g., Amazon.com, iTunes) through Rybbon, a digital rewards management.

This research is covered by a Certificate of Confidentiality from the National Institutes of Health. This means that the researchers cannot release or use information, documents, or samples that may identify you in any action or suit unless you say it is okay. They also cannot provide them as evidence unless you have agreed. This protection includes federal, state, or local civil, criminal, administrative, legislative, or other proceedings. An example would be a court subpoena.

There are some important things that you need to know. The Certificate DOES NOT stop reporting that federal, state or local laws require, such as laws that require reporting of child or elder abuse, some communicable diseases, and threats to harm yourself or others. The Certificate CANNOT BE USED to stop a sponsoring United States federal or state government agency from checking records or evaluating programs. The Certificate DOES NOT stop disclosures required by the federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The Certificate also DOES NOT prevent your information from being used for other research if allowed by federal regulations.

Researchers may release information about you when you say it is okay. For example, you may give them permission to release information to insurers, medical providers or any other persons not connected with the research. The Certificate of Confidentiality does not stop you from willingly releasing information about your involvement in this research. It also does not prevent you from having access to your own information.

After information that could identify you has been removed, de-identified responses may be used by or distributed to investigators for other research without obtaining additional informed consent from you.

Your participation is voluntary. If you choose to take part now, you may change your mind and withdraw later. In addition, you can choose to skip questions that you do not wish to answer. If you do not click on the ‘submit’ button after completing the form, your responses will not be recorded. You may also withdraw your consent for use of data you submit, but you must do this in writing to the PI Andrea Villanti.

If you have questions about taking part in this study, you can contact the Principal Investigator: Andrea Villanti, Ph.D., M.P.H., is Professor in the Department of Health Behavior, Society and Policy at the Rutgers School of Public Health and Deputy Director of the Rutgers Institute for Nicotine and Tobacco, email: andrea.villanti@rutgers.edu. You can also contact our Study Team at disinformationproject@ints.rutgers.edu.   

If you have questions, concerns, problems, information or input about the research or would like to know your rights as a research subject, you can contact the Rutgers IRB or the Rutgers Human Subjects Protection Program via phone at (973) 972-3608 or (732) 235-2866 or (732) 235-9806  OR via email  irboffice@research.rutgers.edu, or  you can write us at 335 George Street, Liberty Plaza Suite 3200, New Brunswick, NJ 08901.