Exploring How Social Media Exposure and Interactions Are Associated With ENDS and Tobacco Use in Ado
Monday, March 22, 2021
Posted by: Natalia Gromov
Patricia
Cavazos-Rehg, Xiao Li, Erin Kasson, Nina Kaiser, Jacob T Borodovsky, Richard
Grucza, Li-Shiun Chen, Laura J Bierut.
Exploring How Social Media
Exposure and Interactions Are Associated With ENDS and Tobacco Use in
Adolescents From the PATH Study.
Nicotine & Tobacco Research, Volume 23, Issue 3, March 2021, Pages 487–494,
https://doi.org/10.1093/ntr/ntaa113
Introduction.
Tobacco use is a current public health epidemic that puts individuals at risk
for many health conditions and diseases, and adolescents are at high risk for
the initiation and persistence of tobacco use behaviors partly due to
engagement with social media content. The objective of this study is to examine
the association between engaging in social media behaviors and patterns of
electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) and tobacco use at a 1-year
follow-up among 11 279 adolescents from the PATH study.
Methods.
Five social media variables were questioned at Wave 2 and then compared to ENDS
and tobacco status transitions (i.e., initiation, persistence, and escalation)
at a 1-year follow-up, respectively. Survey-weighted multivariable logistic
regression models were used to calculate adjusted odds ratios and 95%
confidence interval.
Results.
Passive behaviors on social media were related to higher likelihoods of
starting to use ENDS and other tobacco products. Additionally, active behaviors
on social media were related to higher likelihoods for the initiation and
persistence of tobacco use. In particular, sending tobacco content to other
users was further associated with a higher likelihood of escalation of tobacco
product use.
Discussion.
Both exposure to and interactions with social media tobacco content had a
significant impact on the patterns of ENDS and tobacco use in adolescents. Due
to the amount of time adolescents spend engaging with online content, social
media may be a critical place in which to intervene, possibly with the use of
antitobacco or tobacco prevention messages.
Implications.
The results of this study have implications for public health and the policies
surrounding adolescents and their exposure to social media. Reducing the ENDS
and tobacco content to which adolescents are exposed has the potential to
decrease the instances of initiation and persistence of ENDS and tobacco use.
Intervening on social media may prevent or slow the progression of ENDS and
tobacco use, and increase motivation and actions toward the cessation of
tobacco use in adolescents.
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