Associations between Interpersonal Communication, Perceived Norms, and E-Cigarette Use: The Moderating Role of Social...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Social Sciences
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Previous research links e-cigarette communication and norms to young adult use.
• The moderating role of social network size on these associations was previously unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To examine the relationship between interpersonal communication, perceived norms, and e-cigarette use outcomes.
• To investigate if social network size moderates these relationships.

Main Methods:

• Surveyed 670 college students (81% female, 82.8% White).
• Assessed e-cigarette interpersonal communication, perceived norms, social network size, daily vaping episodes, and vaping days per week.

Main Results:

• E-cigarette communication positively correlated with daily vaping episodes and vaping days per week.
• The association between communication and vaping days per week was significant in smaller to medium-sized networks but not in large networks.

Conclusions:

• Young adults in smaller networks who frequently discuss e-cigarettes may be at higher risk for heavy vaping.
• Interventions to reduce e-cigarette use may be more effective when tailored for smaller social networks.