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AbstractPurpose: The use of e-cigarettes can worsen mental health symptoms in young adults. However, little is known about how young adults’ mental health may relate to their reasons for using e-cigarettes (vaping). We examined the association of mental health and vaping reasons among young adults who currently vape. Methods: Data were analyzed from a sample of young adults who vape (N = 436, Mage=25.19) who participated in an online survey assessing mental health (stress, anxiety, and depression) and vaping reasons (vape for tension reduction or relaxation, user experience, product or substance, or utility). We conducted multiple regressions and ANCOVAs, controlling for age, gender, past 30-day e-cigarette use, and past 30-day cigarette smoking. Results: Experiencing higher levels of stress, anxiety, and depression were associated with vaping for tension reduction or relaxation among young adults who vape (ps < 0.001) and for those who dual use e-cigarettes and cigarettes (ps < 0.01). Experiencing severe anxiety level was associated with vaping for tension reduction or relaxation than among those experiencing minimal, mild or moderate anxiety (ps < 0.05). Conclusions: Findings show that higher stress, anxiety, and depression are associated with greater likelihood of vaping for tension reduction or relaxation. More research should examine the association of stress, anxiety, and depression on vaping in young adults to identify and determine appropriate interventions to help with vaping cessation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction We examined the impact of financial disclosures and warning labels on pro-e-cigarette Instagram posts and their association with attitudes toward the ad and product among youth and young adults. Methods During March to May 2021, we conducted a factorial experiment using an online convenience sample of youth and young adults (N = 1687, M age = 21.54). Participants were randomized to one of four conditions: pro-e-cigarette Instagram posts with only a financial disclosure, only a warning label, both a financial disclosure + warning label, or no financial disclosure or warning label. After viewing the posts, participants answered questions regarding their attitude toward the ad and the product. We used one-way ANOVA to estimate the association of condition on outcomes controlling for demographics. Results Young adults who viewed Instagram posts with only a financial disclosure reported more positive attitudes toward the ad than those who viewed posts with both a financial disclosure + warning label (p <.05). Young adults who viewed posts with only a financial disclosure reported more positive attitudes toward the product than those who viewed posts with only a warning label, both a financial disclosure + warning label, and without either (p s <.05). Differences were not statistically significant for youth. E-cigarette use status was associated with increased positive attitudes toward the ad (p <.001) and product (p <.001) for all participants. Conclusions Our results can inform policy interventions to mitigate the effects of e-cigarette social media marketing among youth and young adults. Including financial disclosures may not decrease appeal of e-cigarettes compared to posts without either. Implications Findings from the study suggest that a warning label may be more effective in reducing the effects of pro-e-cigarette social media posts than a financial disclosure among young adults. Public health officials should examine additional strategies beyond financial disclosures and warning labels (eg, social media peer mentoring program) to offset the persuasive effects of pro-e-cigarette social media marketing posts on young people. Additional policy interventional efforts are needed to limit the impact of e-cigarette social media marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The prevalence of e-cigarette use among young people remains high. Young people are susceptible to e-cigarette advertising, although potential heterogeneity in perceptions of e-cigarette ads with respect to age and e-cigarette use history remains unexplored. We aimed to assess differences in perceptions of e-cigarette ads and product use intention, by age and e-cigarette use status. Methods: Participants from an online convenience sample (N = 497, Mage=31.9) viewed two randomly selected e-cigarette ads and reported their perceptions of the ads and product use intention. We used mixed effects linear regression models to estimate associations between age group (18–20 years, 21–25 years, 26+ years), e-cigarette use status (never, former, and current use), and their interaction effects, on outcomes related to perceptions of ads and use intention. Models controlled for demographics and other tobacco use. Results: Current e-cigarette users (vs. never users) and participants who were 26+ years old (vs. 18–20 years old) had greater liking of the ads, perceived ad relevance, and perceived ad effectiveness. Among current e-cigarette users, participants who were 26+ years old (vs. 18–20 years old) had lower use intention. Conclusion: The effect of e-cigarette ad exposures on perceptions of the ad and use intention is heterogeneous with respect to age group and e-cigarette use history. While ads appealed more to adults who were 26+ years old across e-cigarette use groups, current e-cigarette users who were 18–20 years old demonstrated high use intention following ad exposure, suggesting a need for marketing interventions to mitigate continued e-cigarette use among young people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Computer-tailored health communication (CTHC), a widely used strategy to increase the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions, is focused on selecting the best messages for an individual. More recently, CTHC interventions have been tested using contextual information such as participants' current stress or location to adapt message selection. However, mood has not yet been used in CTCH interventions and may increase their effectiveness., Objective: This study aims to examine the association of mood and smoking cessation message effectiveness among adults who currently smoke cigarettes., Methods: In January 2022, we recruited a web-based convenience sample of adults who smoke cigarettes (N=615; mean age 41.13 y). Participants were randomized to 1 of 3 mood conditions (positive, negative, or neutral) and viewed pictures selected from the International Affective Picture System to induce an emotional state within the assigned condition. Participants then viewed smoking cessation messages with topics covering five themes: (1) financial costs or rewards, (2) health, (3) quality of life, (4) challenges of quitting, and (5) motivation or reasons to quit. Following each message, participants completed questions on 3 constructs: message receptivity, perceived relevance, and their motivation to quit. The process was repeated 30 times. We used 1-way ANOVA to estimate the association of the mood condition on these constructs, controlling for demographics, cigarettes per day, and motivation to quit measured during the pretest. We also estimated the association between mood and outcomes for each of the 5 smoking message theme categories., Results: There was an overall statistically significant effect of the mood condition on the motivation to quit outcome (P=.02) but not on the message receptivity (P=.16) and perceived relevance (P=.86) outcomes. Participants in the positive mood condition reported significantly greater motivation to quit compared with those in the negative mood condition (P=.005). Participants in the positive mood condition reported higher motivation to quit after viewing smoking cessation messages in the financial (P=.03), health (P=.01), quality of life (P=.04), and challenges of quitting (P=.03) theme categories. We also compared each mood condition and found that participants in the positive mood condition reported significantly greater motivation to quit after seeing messages in the financial (P=.01), health (P=.003), quality of life (P=.01), and challenges of quitting (P=.01) theme categories than those in the negative mood condition., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that considering mood may be important for future CTHC interventions. Because those in the positive mood state at the time of message exposure were more likely to have greater quitting motivations, smoking cessation CTHC interventions may consider strategies to help improve participants' mood when delivering these messages. For those in neutral and negative mood states, focusing on certain message themes (health and motivation to quit) may be more effective than other message themes., (©Donghee N Lee, Rajani S Sadasivam, Elise M Stevens. Originally published in JMIR Formative Research (https://formative.jmir.org), 22.12.2023.)

Purpose: We examined how perceived stress and social support were associated with changes in health behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic among sexual minoritized women (SMW)., Methods: In an online convenience sample of SMW ( N  = 501, M age  = 23.6), we used multinomial logistic regression models to estimate associations of perceived stress and social support (emotional, material, virtual, in-person) with self-reported changes (increased or decreased vs. no change) in fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, sleep, tobacco, alcohol, and substance use during the pandemic. We also tested whether social support modified associations between perceived stress and changes in health behaviors. Models controlled for sexual orientation, age, race and ethnicity, and income., Results: Perceived stress and social support were associated with changes in health and risk behaviors. Specifically, increased perceived stress was associated with decrease (odds ratio [OR] = 1.20, p  = 0.01) and increase (OR = 1.12, p  = 0.04) in fruit and vegetable intake, and increase in substance use (OR = 1.19, p  = 0.04). Receiving in-person social support was associated with changes in decrease (OR = 10.10, p  < 0.001) and increase (OR = 7.35, p  < 0.01) in combustible tobacco use and increase in alcohol use (OR = 2.63, p  = 0.01). Among SMW who never received material social support during the pandemic, increased perceived stress was associated with increased alcohol use (OR = 1.25, p  < 0.01)., Conclusions: Perceived stress and social support were associated with SMW's health behavior changes during the pandemic. Future research may explore interventions to mitigate the effects of perceived stress and appropriately increase social support to promote health equity among SMW., Competing Interests: The authors report no conflict of interest., (© Donghee N. Lee et al., 2022; Published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.)