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In "Thinking Critically, Acting Justly," Naomi Yavneh Klos suggests that the key questions for honors education and social justice are first "how to engage our highest-ability and most motivated students in questions of justice" and second "how honors can be a place of access, equity, and excellence in higher education." These goals are both important and complementary; achieving the latter helps achieve the former. Honors education creates a fruitful space for inclusion where the knowledge and experience of diverse students develop skills oriented toward justice for the whole community. Making honors a place of access and equity prompts deeper engagement in questions of justice for all. Particularly in its emphasis on interdisciplinary and experiential learning, honors education creates, as Yavneh Klos writes, opportunities to "develop an understanding of the world in its complexities [and to] listen and engage [across difference]." Honors also prompts students to learn from the intersections of experience, recognize assumptions based in privilege, and challenge the notion that justice is about helping distant others. Through these practices, honors education is particularly well-positioned to cultivate empathy, a necessary foundation of social justice education. We base our conclusions about building empathy in honors education on our experience team-teaching an experiential, interdisciplinary course focused on mass incarceration in the University of New Mexico Honors College. Titled "Locked Up: Incarceration in Question," the two-semester course integrated methodologies and approaches from sociology and art, fostering interdisciplinary inquiry into the historic roots and contemporary practices of incarceration. The aim of the class was to cultivate empathetic and engaged citizens, both caring about the world around them and prepared to create change in their communities. During the fall semester, students examined mass incarceration as a civil rights issue and explored how art allows us to both construct meaning and communicate knowledge about injustice. This class prepared students for service learning projects during the spring semester, when student groups worked with community partners to provide requested services. During the activities of both semesters, students came to destabilize the false dichotomy between themselves--often relatively privileged students in their state's flagship university--and individuals directly impacted by the injustices of the carceral apparatus. Students found such complexities also mirrored in their own lives.

Key Points: Question: Is a tailored, interactive text message program for vaping cessation effective in promoting abstinence from e-cigarettes among adolescents? Findings: A 2-group randomized clinical trial was conducted with 1503 adolescent e-cigarette users, with 70.8% retention at 7 months. In intention-to-treat analysis, with missingness coded as vaping, abstinence rates were 37.8% among participants assigned to the text message intervention and 28.0% among participants assigned to assessment-only control, a statistically significant difference. No baseline characteristics moderated the treatment-outcome relationship, including nicotine dependence. Meaning: A tailored, interactive text message program increased self-reported vaping cessation rates among adolescents recruited via social media channels. Importance: E-cigarettes are the most commonly used tobacco product among adolescents. Despite known harms of nicotine exposure among teens, there are no empirically tested vaping cessation interventions. Objective: To compare the effectiveness of a text message program for nicotine vaping cessation among adolescents with assessment-only control. Design, Setting, and Participants: A parallel, 2-group, double-blind, individually randomized clinical trial with follow-ups at 1 and 7 months after randomization was conducted from October 1, 2021, to October 18, 2023. Participants were recruited via social media ads; the intervention was delivered via text message; and assessments were completed online or by telephone. Eligible individuals were US residents aged 13 to 17 years who reported past 30-day e-cigarette use, were interested in quitting within 30 days, and owned a mobile phone with an active text message plan. To optimize study retention, all participants received monthly assessments via text message about e-cigarette use. Interventions: Assessment-only controls (n = 744) received only study retention text messages. Intervention participants (n = 759) also received an automated, interactive text message program for vaping cessation that delivers cognitive and behavioral coping skills training and social support. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was self-reported 30-day point-prevalence abstinence from vaping at 7 months analyzed as intention-to-treat, with missingness coded as vaping. Results: Among n = 1503 adolescents randomized, average age was 16.4 (SD, 0.8) years. The sample was 50.6% female, 42.1% male, and 7.4% nonbinary/other; 10.2% Black/African American, 62.6% White, 18.5% multiracial, and 8.7% another race; 16.2% Hispanic; 42.5% sexual minority; and 76.2% vaped within 30 minutes of waking. The 7-month follow-up rate was 70.8%. Point-prevalence abstinence rates were 37.8% (95% CI, 34.4%-41.3%) among intervention participants and 28.0% (95% CI, 24.9%-31.3%) among control participants (relative risk, 1.35 [95% CI, 1.17-1.57]; P <.001). No baseline variables moderated the treatment-outcome relationship. There was no evidence that adolescents who quit vaping transitioned to combustible tobacco products. Conclusions and Relevance: A tailored, interactive text message intervention increased self-reported vaping cessation rates among adolescents recruited via social media channels. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04919590 This randomized clinical trial compares the effectiveness of a tailored, interactive text message program for nicotine vaping cessation vs assessment only among US adolescents aged 13-17 years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundMillions of young adults currently vape electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), yet little research on vaping cessation interventions exists. Text messaging is a promising, scalable intervention strategy for delivering vaping cessation treatment. ObjectiveThis study evaluates the effectiveness of a text message quit vaping program (This is Quitting) in promoting abstinence from e-cigarettes among young adults; examines changes in self-efficacy, perceived social norms, and social support for quitting as hypothesized mediators of effectiveness; and examines if treatment effectiveness is moderated by gender, race, ethnicity, or sexual minority status. MethodsOverall, 2600 young adult (aged 18-24 years) e-cigarette users in the United States will be recruited via web advertisements to participate in the study. Participants will be randomized to This is Quitting or an assessment-only control condition. The primary outcome measure is 30-day vaping abstinence at 7 months post enrollment. ResultsStudy recruitment began on December 18, 2019, and is projected to be completed by spring 2020. The final 7-month follow-up is anticipated to be completed by fall/winter 2020. Because this is the first-ever evaluation of a quit vaping program, we were unable to draw on existing literature to determine the appropriate sample size. Therefore, we examined abstinence rates among an initial pilot sample of 269 participants (This is Quitting: n=148 and control: n=121) who completed the 1-month follow-up to determine the final sample size. The 1-month response rate was 79.2% (213/269), with no difference between arms. Using intention-to-treat analyses that counted nonresponders as still vaping, 30-day abstinence rates were 16.2% (24/148) among those randomized to This is Quitting and 8.3% (10/121) among those randomized to control. A treatment difference of 16% vs 8% is detectable with 80% power at 2-sided alpha=.05 with 260/group (520 total). To detect treatment differences of this magnitude in a 20% subsample (eg, Hispanic or sexual minority young adult e-cigarette users), we will enroll 1300/group (2600 total). ConclusionsThe scientific, clinical, and public health communities are desperate for cessation resources to address vaping among young people. This study is the first-ever comparative effectiveness trial of an intervention to help young people quit vaping. It focuses on evaluating the effectiveness of a theory-grounded, empirically informed text message intervention among young adults. The study is fully powered to examine potentially important subgroup differences among young people who are more vulnerable to e-cigarette use. Although potentially more challenging from a research ethics and pragmatic standpoint, evaluating quit vaping intervention approaches in teens is an important area for future research. Data from this trial will establish a benchmark of effectiveness for other vaping cessation programs and begin to create a body of evidence focused on how best to help young people break free from e-cigarettes. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04251273; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04251273 International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/18327

BackgroundSmoking remains a leading cause of preventable death and illness. Internet interventions for smoking cessation have the potential to significantly impact public health, given their broad reach and proven effectiveness. Given the dose-response association between engagement and behavior change, identifying strategies to promote engagement is a priority across digital health interventions. Text messaging is a proven smoking cessation treatment modality and a powerful strategy to increase intervention engagement in other areas of health, but it has not been tested as an engagement strategy for a digital cessation intervention. ObjectiveThis study examined the impact of 4 experimental text message design factors on adult smokers’ engagement with an internet smoking cessation program. MethodsWe conducted a 2×2×2×2 full factorial screening experiment wherein 864 participants were randomized to 1 of 16 experimental conditions after registering with a free internet smoking cessation program and enrolling in its automated text message program. Experimental factors were personalization (on/off), integration between the web and text message platforms (on/off), dynamic tailoring of intervention content based on user engagement (on/off), and message intensity (tapered vs abrupt drop-off). Primary outcomes were 3-month measures of engagement (ie, page views, time on site, and return visits to the website) as well as use of 6 interactive features of the internet program. All metrics were automatically tracked; there were no missing data. ResultsMain effects were detected for integration and dynamic tailoring. Integration significantly increased interactive feature use by participants, whereas dynamic tailoring increased the number of features used and page views. No main effects were found for message intensity or personalization alone, although several synergistic interactions with other experimental features were observed. Synergistic effects, when all experimental factors were active, resulted in the highest rates of interactive feature use and the greatest proportion of participants at high levels of engagement. Measured in terms of standardized mean differences (SMDs), effects on interactive feature use were highest for Build Support System (SMD 0.56; 95% CI 0.27 to 0.81), Choose Quit Smoking Aid (SMD 0.38; 95% CI 0.10 to 0.66), and Track Smoking Triggers (SMD 0.33; 95% CI 0.05 to 0.61). Among the engagement metrics, the largest effects were on overall feature utilization (SMD 0.33; 95% CI 0.06 to 0.59) and time on site (SMD 0.29; 95% CI 0.01 to 0.57). As no SMD >0.30 was observed for main effects on any outcome, results suggest that for some outcomes, the combined intervention was stronger than individual factors alone. ConclusionsThis factorial experiment demonstrates the effectiveness of text messaging as a strategy to increase engagement with an internet smoking cessation intervention, resulting in greater overall intervention dose and greater exposure to the core components of tobacco dependence treatment that can promote abstinence. Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT02585206; https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02585206. International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)RR2-10.1136/bmjopen-2015-010687

The climate crisis is a growing concern for many people, especially those who are of college age, making it an important and pressing issue to explore in honors courses. Eco-Art: Using Art to Reconcile with the Climate Crisis, a University of New Mexico (UNM) Honors College course, integrates the disciplines of art and environmental justice to examine climate change and address the social and emotional toll of climate grief. The class was co-created and team taught by Associate Professor Megan Jacobs and UNM undergraduate honors and environmental science student Kineo Memmer. This article unpacks the methodologies and lessons learned from this intergenerational team-teaching experience. The class forged community partnerships and created short documentary films highlighting climate activism in New Mexico as well as creative works on climate grief. Using an egalitarian instruction model, the instructors found common ground between their respective disciplines to develop projects and cull readings, which they outline in detail. This type of collaboration is key in the climate movement, as intersectional ways of problem-solving are necessary to combat the climate crisis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundFew studies have addressed enrollment and retention methods in online smoking cessation interventions. Fully automated Web-based trials can yield large numbers of participants rapidly but suffer from high rates of attrition. Personal contact with participants can increase recruitment of smokers into cessation trials and improve participant retention. ObjectiveTo compare the impact of Web-based (WEB) and phone (PH) baseline assessments on enrollment and retention metrics in the context of a Facebook smoking cessation study. MethodsParticipants were recruited via Facebook and Google ads which were randomly displayed to adult smokers in the United States over 27 days from August to September 2013. On each platform, two identical ads were randomly displayed to users who fit the advertising parameters. Clicking on one of the ads resulted in randomization to WEB, and clicking on the other ad resulted in randomization to PH. Following online eligibility screening and informed consent, participants in the WEB arm completed the baseline survey online whereas PH participants completed the baseline survey by phone with a research assistant. All participants were contacted at 30 days to complete a follow-up survey that assessed use of the cessation intervention and smoking outcomes. Participants were paid $15 for follow-up survey completion. ResultsA total of 4445 people clicked on the WEB ad and 4001 clicked on the PH ad: 12.04% (n=535) of WEB participants and 8.30% (n=332) of PH participants accepted the online study invitation (P

BackgroundFacebook is the most popular social network site, with over 1 billion users globally. There are millions of apps available within Facebook, many of which address health and health behavior change. Facebook may represent a promising channel to reach smokers with cessation interventions via apps. To date, there have been no published reports about Facebook apps for smoking cessation. ObjectiveThe purpose of this study was to review the features and functionality of Facebook apps for smoking cessation and to determine the extent to which they adhere to evidence-based guidelines for tobacco dependence treatment. MethodsIn August 2013, we searched Facebook and three top Internet search engines using smoking cessation keywords to identify relevant Facebook apps. Resultant apps were screened for eligibility (smoking cessation-related, English language, and functioning). Eligible apps were reviewed by 2 independent coders using a standardized coding scheme. Coding included content features (interactive, informational, and social) and adherence to an established 20-item index (possible score 0-40) derived from the US Public Health Service’s Clinical Practice Guidelines for Treating Tobacco Use and Dependence. ResultsWe screened 22 apps for eligibility; of these, 12 underwent full coding. Only 9 apps were available on Facebook. Facebook apps fell into three broad categories: public pledge to quit (n=3), quit-date–based calculator/tracker (n=4), or a multicomponent quit smoking program (n=2). All apps incorporated interactive, informational, and social features except for two quit-date–based calculator/trackers apps (lacked informational component). All apps allowed app-related posting within Facebook (ie, on self/other Facebook profile), and four had a within-app “community” feature to enable app users to communicate with each other. Adherence index summary scores among Facebook apps were low overall (mean 15.1, SD 7.8, range 7-30), with multicomponent apps scoring the highest. ConclusionsThere are few smoking cessation apps available within Facebook. Among those available, adherence to cessation treatment guidelines was low. Smoking cessation interventions provided via the Facebook platform are a unique and as yet untapped treatment strategy that can harness existing social support and social networks for quitting. Research is needed to examine whether apps that adhere to clinical practice guidelines for tobacco dependence treatment are more effective in promoting cessation than those that do not.

Aims: To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined internet and text message intervention for smoking cessation compared with an internet intervention alone. The text message intervention was optimized for engagement in an earlier multiphase optimization (MOST) screening phase. Design A parallel, two‐group, individually randomized clinical trial (RCT) was conducted in a MOST confirming phase. Recruitment spanned December 2018 to March 2019. Follow‐up was conducted at 3 and 9 months, beginning March 2019 and ending January 2020. Setting: United States: a digital study conducted among new registrants on a free tobacco cessation website. Participants: Eligible individuals were 618 adult current smokers in the United States, age 18 years or older who signed up for text messages during website registration (67.2% female, 70.4% white). Interventions: The treatment arm (WEB+TXT; n = 311) received access to the website and text messaging. The control arm (WEB; n = 307) received access to the website alone. Measurements The primary outcome was self‐reported 30‐day point prevalence abstinence (ppa) at 9 months post‐randomization analyzed under intent to treat (ITT), counting non‐responders as smoking. Secondary outcomes included 3‐month measures of 30‐day ppa, intervention engagement and intervention satisfaction. Findings Abstinence rates at 9 months were 23.1% among WEB+TXT and 23.2% among WEB (OR = 1.00, 95% CI = 0.69–1.45; P = 0.99). WEB+TXT increased engagement with 5 of 6 interactive features (standardized mean difference (SMD) = 0.26–0.47, all P < 0.001) and repeat website visits (48.7% vs 38.9%, SMD = 0.14, P = 0.02). Satisfaction metrics favored WEB+TXT (satisfied: 96.3% vs 90.5%, SMD = 0.17, P = 0.008; recommend to friend: 95.9% vs 90.1%, SMD = 0.16, P = 0.028). Conclusions: A randomized controlled trial found no evidence that a combined internet and text message intervention for smoking cessation compared with an internet intervention alone increased 9‐month abstinence rates among adult current smokers in the United States, despite evidence of higher levels of intervention engagement and satisfaction at 3 months. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]