Body esteem, weight-control outcome expectancies, and e-cigarette use among young adults

Evidence is still scarce regarding the use of e-cigarettes by young people for weight-control reasons. This study aimed to test a model in which the prospective association between negative body esteem and e-cigarette use is mediated by weight-control outcome expectancies for e-cigarette use. The model was tested across genders.

Data were collected at three time points, 6 months apart, from 2327 young adults (mean age = 21.2; SD = 2.2; 54% women). Self-reported data were collected on demographics, body mass index, body esteem, weight-control outcome expectancies for e-cigarette use, and current e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking.

Among women, we found a significant indirect effect of lower body esteem on higher likelihood of current e-cigarette use 1 year later, mediated by higher weight-control outcome expectancies at 6-month follow-up, adjusting for demographics, body mass index, and baseline e-cigarette use and cigarette smoking. Among men, body esteem was not found to have significant effect on either weight-control expectancies or e-cigarette use.

Based on the current findings, young adult women who have higher negative body esteem are at increased risk for using e-cigarettes for weight-control motives.

The current findings are some of the first to show prospective associations among weight-control motives and e-cigarette use among young adults. These findings suggest that a group of vulnerable young women may be using e-cigarettes to lose or control weight. More research is needed to understand their choice of flavors, nicotine concentration, and device type. In addition, research is needed to understand whether e-cigarettes are being marketed, directly or indirectly, as being useful for weight loss or control. There may be a need for health promotion strategies that provide healthier alternatives to young women struggling with low body esteem who use e-cigarettes for weight loss or control.