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Background Electronic nicotine delivery systems (“e-cigarettes”) are the nicotine product most commonly used by adolescents. Research, treatment, and policy could benefit from measures of adolescent e-cigarette beliefs about outcomes of use (ie, expectancies). In the current study, we developed and tested an adolescent electronic nicotine vaping expectancy measure. Methods A focus group with adolescents evaluated potential e-cigarette expectancy items. A panel of national experts assisted in revision of these items. Finally, items were administered to a sample of adolescents 14-17 years old (N = 267, Mean age 15.6, SD = 1.1, 50.9% Female, 50.2% Non-Hispanic White, 22.5% Non-Hispanic Black, 14.2% Hispanic) in a large Southeastern metropolitan area in the United States. Results Exploratory Factor Analysis revealed a four factor solution: Negative Consequences (Cronbach’s α = .92); Positive Reinforcement (α = .83); Negative Affect Reduction (α = .95); and Weight Control (α = .89). Subscales were significantly correlated with vaping susceptibility and lifetime vaping. Subscales successfully differentiated susceptible adolescents from confirmed non-susceptible adolescents, with susceptible adolescents reporting more positive expectancies, eg, Positive Reinforcement, M = 5.0, SD = 2.0 vs M = 3.0, SD = 2.1, P < .001, η 2 = 0.19, and less negative expectancies, M = 5.5, SD = 2.3 vs M = 6.5, SD = 2.6, P = .001, η 2 = 0.04. Similar results were found comparing adolescents who have never vaped nicotine with those who have vaped nicotine. Hierarchical linear regression demonstrated subscales were significant predictors of lifetime vaping after controlling for demographics, vaping ad exposure, and peer/family vaping. Conclusions A preliminary version of an adolescent expectancy measure appears reliable and valid based on expert input and pilot testing with adolescents. Promising results were found in the domains of concurrent validity, discriminant validity, and incremental validity. Future research and evaluation efforts will be able to use this tool to further prevention and treatment goals.

Background: “Expectancies,” or beliefs about outcomes, robustly correlate with and predict several behaviors including electronic nicotine delivery system (“e-cigarette”) use. However, there is limited qualitative research available regarding relevant e-cigarette vaping expectancies. Objectives: The present study used a qualitative approach to derive and refine e-cigarette expectancy themes among young adults. Methods: We conducted 12 focus groups and two individual interviews with young adult nonusers, e-cigarette vapers, cigarette smokers, and dual users to assess beliefs about the effects of e-cigarettes. After a series of open-ended questions, follow-up questions assessed reactions to domains previously examined in expectancy measures for cigarette smoking and e-cigarette vaping. The constant comparative method was used to derive themes from transcripts. Results: Four main themes ( Positive Reinforcement, Social Benefits, Negative Affect Reduction, Negative Consequences ) emerged from the results. Each theme contained three associated subthemes ( Positive Reinforcement : Sensorimotor Experiences, Taste, Stimulation; Social Benefits : Social Facilitation, Influence on Others, Convenience; Negative Affect Reduction : Stress Reduction, Appetite Reduction, Boredom Reduction; and Negative Consequences : Health Risks, Addiction, Secondhand Effects). Conclusions/importance: Previously identified smoking expectancies appear relevant for young adult vaping, with some notable refinements. Positive reinforcement aspects encompassed aerosol clouds, vaping tricks, and unique flavors. Social benefits included influencing others via social media and competitive activity, as well as the convenience of use in a variety of places. Negative affect reduction was controversial among user groups, but vaping was seen as more interesting than smoking and thus more effective at boredom reduction. Young adults were uncertain regarding negative consequences, but appreciated a potential for secondhand effects. Measure refinement via qualitative research and future field testing can enhance our understanding of this relatively new behavior, supporting tobacco control surveillance, marketing/labeling regulations, and counter-advertising development/evaluation.

Objectives: Adolescent use of electronic cigarettes has risen dramatically, prompting concerns about the health effects. There is need for brief measures to assess adolescents' perceived threat and efficacy related to e-cigarette use and cessation. A 12-item Likert-type scale was modeled after the Risk Behavior Diagnosis Scale and designed to assess threat (ie, severity and susceptibility of threat) and efficacy (ie, self-efficacy and response efficacy) as they relate to e-cigarette use. Methods: The scale was administered online to a developmental sample of 674 adolescents to examine internal consistency and factor structure. Participants (52.1% female, M age = 14.6) were representative of the surrounding community (60% non-Hispanic white; 27% non-Hispanic black; 8% Hispanic). Results: Factor analysis and Velicer's minimum average partial test revealed 2 factors (as expected), which explained 68% of the variance. Analyses revealed strong internal consistency, with Cronbach's alpha of .93 overall and alphas of .92 and .87 for threat and efficacy subscales, respectively. The measure also exhibited good convergent and discriminant validity with other constructs. Conclusions: The measure demonstrates strong preliminary reliability and validity for a developmental sample of adolescents.