E-cigarettes and social media: attitudes and perceptions of young adults to social media messages

Alpert, Jordan; Chen, Huan; Adams, Kelsy-Ann

doi:10.1080/16066359.2019.1663835

Cited by 22 publications

(20 citation statements)

References 47 publications

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“…Adolescents who saw the social media messages also had stronger beliefs about general (e.g., damage my body) and specific (e.g., become more irritable) health effects if they used e-cigarettes regularly. These educational gains, however, must be considered in the broader social media landscape where youth are regularly engaging with (e.g., following and attending to) and bonding over positive e-cigarette portrayals [2,23]. All messages were formatted as Instagram posts or stories, but not shown in social media feeds; future studies should juxtapose e-cigarette education with positive portrayals of e-cigarettes that dominate social media (e.g., Instagram) to understand the feasibility and impact of these messages to inform and discourage use among youth [24].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In 2019, 31.2% of high school students reported current use (past 30 days) of tobacco products, with e-cigarette use (27.5%) most common [1]. Youth e-cigarette use, or vaping, is partially attributed to exposure to persuasive marketing appeals and misperceptions about e-cigarette harms [2]. Advertising on social media portrays e-cigarettes as appealing, healthy, and socially desirable, which likely reinforces misperceptions of little harm [3,4].…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Visuals can quickly convey meaning to influence thinking and feeling for enduring beliefs [18]. Although visual portrayals in e-cigarette marketing on social media entice youth by normalizing use and associate e-cigarettes with aspirational lifestyles [2], youth also rely on visuals in e-cigarette education to guide their attention and interpretation of information [19]. Online quizzes can increase interaction, knowledge, and risk beliefs of health information [20,21].…”

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confidence: 99%

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Social Media Message Designs to Educate Adolescents About E-Cigarettes

Lazard

2021

Journal of Adolescent Health

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E-cigarette use is increasing among adolescents, despite potential harms. Social media messages are a promising way to educate youth about e-cigarettes, yet little is known about what message topics and formats will have beneficial impacts for message reception, reach, e-cigarette knowledge, and beliefs about harms. Methods: A national convenience sample of adolescents (n ¼ 928, aged 15e18 years) in high school was recruited for an online experiment. In October 2019, participants were randomized to view one of three social media formats (visual based, quiz, and text only) or a no-message control. Participants in format conditions viewed six unique topics in a random order. Outcomes were e-cigarette knowledge and beliefs. Message reactions and sharing preferences were also assessed among youth who saw social media messages. Results: Social media messages led to greater knowledge (Cohen's f ¼ .19; p < .001) and beliefs (f ¼ .16; p < .001) about harms of e-cigarettes compared with the control, regardless of format. Almost four in five adolescents (79%) reported they would share the social media messages, most likely in person (49%) and with friends (52%). Message topics for missing out because of lung damage, having uncontrolled moods, and ingesting specific harmful chemicals elicited higher intended message reactions. Conclusions: Social media messages can educate about e-cigarette harms. Social media campaigns are a promising e-cigarette education strategy to reach youth, directly and potentially through peer-to-peer sharing.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

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Social Media Message Designs to Educate Adolescents About E-Cigarettes

Lazard

2021

Journal of Adolescent Health

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“…Image testing alone without text was chosen due to the increased use of picture-based social media (e.g., Instagram) among young adults [ 14 ] and to contribute to the limited literature based on potentially effective imagery for vaping prevention communication interventions. Based on findings from previous studies, we expected that images similar to those used in a warning label study [ 15 ] and those with people would have higher PE for prevention [ 16 ]. We also expected that images with people, color, devices or e-liquid, and vapor would be more likable due to their reported high level of appeal in other studies [ 16 , 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Based on findings from previous studies, we expected that images similar to those used in a warning label study [ 15 ] and those with people would have higher PE for prevention [ 16 ]. We also expected that images with people, color, devices or e-liquid, and vapor would be more likable due to their reported high level of appeal in other studies [ 16 , 17 ]. For instance, prior research has shown that more attention is paid by young adults to the models in EVP advertisements than other features [ 16 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Optimizing Images for an E-Cigarette Messaging Campaign: Liking and Perceived Effectiveness

Stevens

Keller‐Hamilton

Mays

et al. 2021

IJERPH

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Introduction: Given the prevalence of electronic vapor product (EVP) use among young people in the US, there is a need for effective vaping education campaigns. This study tested 32 images for liking and perceived effectiveness (PE) to identify optimal images for a messaging campaign. Method: Images were selected from current campaigns, warning labels, and other images based on young adult reasons for use. Images were coded for the presence of (1) people, (2) vapor, (3) device, (4) color, and (5) similarity to warning label image. Young adults (n = 200) were recruited from the Amazon Mechanical Turk platform. Participants were randomly assigned to view and rate six of the 32 images on liking as well as PE, which measured the potential impact of the image to discourage vaping appeal and use. Results: Images containing vapor and/or a device or e-liquid were not well-liked but were perceived as effective in discouraging vaping (ps < 0.05). Images from warning labels were also not well-liked but were perceived as significantly more effective than those not from a warning (p < 0.01). Liking and effectiveness of features was similar for both EVP users and non-users. Discussion: Images with specific features were rated as less likable but rated as higher on PE. However, the consistency of image features rated as effective by EVP users and non-users supports the utility of similar imagery for vaping prevention and reduction efforts.

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