To vape or not to vape? Effects of exposure to conflicting news headlines on beliefs about harms and benefits of electronic cigarette use: Results from a randomized controlled experiment

Abstract

News coverage of novel tobacco products including e-cigarettes has framed the use of these products with both positive and negative slants. Conflicting information may shape public knowledge, perceptions of e-cigarettes, and their harms. The objective of this study is to assess effects of exposure to conflicting news coverage on US adults’ beliefs about harms and benefits of e-cigarette use. We conducted a one-way between-subjects randomized controlled experiment in 2016 to compare the effects of viewing either 1) positive, 2) negative, 3) both positive and negative (conflicting) news headlines about the safety of using e-cigarettes, or 4) no-message. Participants were 2,056 adults aged 18 and older from an online survey panel. Outcomes were beliefs about harms (3-item scale, α=0.76) and benefits (3-item scale, α=0.82) of using e-cigarettes. Participants who viewed negative headlines reported increased beliefs about harms (B=0.164, p=0.039) and lower beliefs about benefits of e-cigarette use (B=−0.216, p=0.009), compared with those in the positive headlines condition. These differences were replicated in subgroup analyses among never e-cigarette users. In addition, never e-cigarette users who viewed conflicting headlines reported lower beliefs about benefits of e-cigarette use (B=−0.221, p=0.030) than the positive headlines condition. Valence of news coverage about e-cigarettes (positive, negative, or conflicting) could influence people’s beliefs about harms and benefits of e-cigarette use.

Youth and young adult exposure to and perceptions of news media coverage about e-cigarettes in the United States, Canada and England

“…The finding that exposure to mostly negative valence news stories was more likely to be associated with perceptions that e-cigarettes cause harm (compared to positive news) is consistent with an experimental study which found that exposure to negative e-cigarette news headlines increased beliefs about e-cigarette harms compared with exposure to positive headlines (7). Past 30 day e-cigarette users exposed to mostly negative e-cigarette news also had higher odds of intending to quit e-cigarettes in the next month.…”

“…News coverage may also inform the public about the potential risks and benefits of tobacco products including e-cigarettes, which may impact public perceptions and product use intentions (7,8). Indeed, one experimental study found that participants who viewed negative e-cigarette news headlines reported increased beliefs about e-cigarette harms and lower beliefs about benefits compared with those exposed to positive headlines (7). This is relevant given that recent content analysis research found e-cigarette news stories to more frequently discuss potential e-cigarette risks versus benefits (e.g., use for harm reduction) (1).…”

Speaking up about Lighting up in Public: Examining Psychosocial Correlates of Smoking and Vaping Assertive Communication Intentions among U.S. Adults

“…This may stem in part from media coverage, which has presented a mixed picture of the potential risks and benefits associated with the products and focused on regulatory policies for ecigarettes (Yates et al, 2015). Experimental exposure to (Tan, Lee, Nagler & Bigman, 2017), as well as recalling more exposure to (Tan, Bigman, Mello, & Sanders-Jackson, 2015) negative information about e-cigarettes is associated with perceiving greater health risks from SHVe. As scientific evidence accumulates and policies are implemented, it will be important to assess effects of regulatory and information environments on the public's beliefs and behaviors with regard to tobacco and tobacco-related products.…”

The Association between Potential Exposure to Magazine Ads with Voluntary Health Warnings and the Perceived Harmfulness of Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems (ENDS)

“…Regardless of smoking status, a significant proportion of US adults mistakenly believed that nicotine is the primary disease-causing chemical [ 30 ]. Studies also found that news articles discussed potential harms or risks of ENDS more often than their potential benefits [ 31 ], which may increase beliefs about ENDS harms while reducing beliefs about benefits [ 32 ]. Given the mixed evidence on ENDS warning messages and the complexity surrounding the perceptions of ENDS, it is critically important to assess how consumers may interpret messages from the FDA addiction warning and manufacturers’ voluntary warnings, and to what extent these messages may influence consumers’ harm perceptions about ENDS.…”