Social norm, low risk perception tied to youth e-cigarette ad exposure, Zheng study finds
Youth who see online e-cigarette ads perceive e-cigarette use as a social norm with lower risk, according to a study published by doctoral candidate Xia Zheng.
“How Does Online e-cigarette Advertisement Promote Youth’s e-cigarettes Use? The Mediating Roles of Social Norm and Risk Perceptions,” published in Health Communication, is co-authored by associate professor Hsien Chang-Lin from IU’s School of Public Health. It examines the underlying mechanisms of how online e-cigarettes exposure promotes youth’s e-cigarette use.
The study included more than 6,000 participants ages 12-17.
The results indicated that norm perception associated with online e-cigarettes ads may twist youth’s e-cigarette risk perception, which is associated with subsequent usage. Interventions to curb youth’s e-cigarette use can target social norms of e-cigarette use and restrict e-cigarette advertisement exposure to youth, according to the article.