IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jijerp/v22y2025i2p307-d1594106.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Pathway from Exposure to an E-Cigarette Prevention Social Media Campaign to Increased Quitting Intentions: A Randomized Trial Among Young Adult E-Cigarette Users

Author

Listed:
  • Alexander P. D’Esterre

    (Schroeder Institute, Truth Initiative, Washington, DC 20001, USA)

  • Shreya Tulsiani

    (Schroeder Institute, Truth Initiative, Washington, DC 20001, USA)

  • Elizabeth C. Hair

    (Schroeder Institute, Truth Initiative, Washington, DC 20001, USA
    Department of Health, Behavior, and Society, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA)

  • Madeleine Aseltine

    (Schroeder Institute, Truth Initiative, Washington, DC 20001, USA)

  • Linda Q. Yu

    (Schroeder Institute, Truth Initiative, Washington, DC 20001, USA)

  • Megumi Ichimiya

    (Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA)

  • Jeffrey B. Bingenheimer

    (Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA)

  • Jennifer Cantrell

    (Global Institute of Public Health, New York University, New York City, NY 10003, USA)

  • W. Douglas Evans

    (Department of Prevention and Community Health, Milken Institute School of Public Health, The George Washington University, Washington, DC 20037, USA)

Abstract

In 2022, 26–31% of young adults reported using e-cigarettes in the previous 30 days. Research supports the effectiveness of mass media health campaigns in changing targeted attitudes and behaviors regarding nicotine use. However, the effect of social media campaigns and the pathway through which they change attitudes and behaviors require more research. This randomized controlled experiment examines the pathway through which exposure to an e-cigarette prevention social media campaign influences intentions to quit e-cigarettes among young adults who currently use e-cigarettes. Participants ( n = 160) aged 18 to 24 years old were recruited through Virtual Lab in Facebook and Instagram. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to examine the pathway from campaign exposure, to changes in targeted attitudes, and finally to intentions to quit e-cigarettes in the next year. Ad exposure was significantly associated with stronger anti-industry attitudes, independence from e-cigarettes, and risk perceptions. These campaign-targeted attitudes were significantly associated with greater intentions to quit e-cigarettes (anti-industry attitudes (OR = 1.43), independence (OR = 1.50), and risk perception (OR = 1.71)). The findings suggest that exposure to an e-cigarette prevention social media campaign can affect targeted attitudes, which in turn improve intentions to quit. Future research should examine behavior changes and compare the effects between those currently using e-cigarettes and those not using them.

Suggested Citation

  • Alexander P. D’Esterre & Shreya Tulsiani & Elizabeth C. Hair & Madeleine Aseltine & Linda Q. Yu & Megumi Ichimiya & Jeffrey B. Bingenheimer & Jennifer Cantrell & W. Douglas Evans, 2025. "Pathway from Exposure to an E-Cigarette Prevention Social Media Campaign to Increased Quitting Intentions: A Randomized Trial Among Young Adult E-Cigarette Users," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 22(2), pages 1-10, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:2:p:307-:d:1594106
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/2/307/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/22/2/307/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Ajzen, Icek, 1991. "The theory of planned behavior," Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, Elsevier, vol. 50(2), pages 179-211, December.
    2. William Douglas Evans & Lorien C. Abroms & David Broniatowski & Melissa A. Napolitano & Jeanie Arnold & Megumi Ichimiya & Sohail Agha, 2022. "Digital Media for Behavior Change: Review of an Emerging Field of Study," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(15), pages 1-14, July.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Maria Andersson & Ola Eriksson & Chris Von Borgstede, 2012. "The Effects of Environmental Management Systems on Source Separation in the Work and Home Settings," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 4(6), pages 1-17, June.
    2. Tran Huy Phuong & Thanh Trung Hieu, 2015. "Predictors of Entrepreneurial Intentions of Undergraduate Students in Vietnam: An Empirical Study," International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, Human Resource Management Academic Research Society, International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences, vol. 5(8), pages 46-55, August.
    3. Clara Cardone-Riportella & María José Casasola-Martinez & Isabel Feito-Ruiz, 2014. "Do Entrepreneurs Come From Venus Or Mars? Impact Of Postgraduate Studies: Gender And Family Business Background," Working Papers 14.04, Universidad Pablo de Olavide, Department of Financial Economics and Accounting (former Department of Business Administration), revised Sep 2014.
    4. Peng Cheng & Zhe Ouyang & Yang Liu, 0. "The effect of information overload on the intention of consumers to adopt electric vehicles," Transportation, Springer, vol. 0, pages 1-20.
    5. Ruijie Zhu & Guojing Zhao & Zehai Long & Yangjie Huang & Zhaoxin Huang, 2022. "Entrepreneurship or Employment? A Survey of College Students’ Sustainable Entrepreneurial Intentions," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(9), pages 1-15, May.
    6. Alsalem, Amani & Fry, Marie-Louise & Thaichon, Park, 2020. "To donate or to waste it: Understanding posthumous organ donation attitude," Australasian marketing journal, Elsevier, vol. 28(3), pages 87-97.
    7. Pan, Jing Yu & Liu, Dahai, 2022. "Mask-wearing intentions on airplanes during COVID-19 – Application of theory of planned behavior model," Transport Policy, Elsevier, vol. 119(C), pages 32-44.
    8. Mohammed Akhmaaj, Asmaeil Ali & Sharif, Mohamed Omar, 2024. "The effects of planned behavior model constructs and technology acceptance model constructs on online purchasing behavior: An empirical study on internet users in the Libya city of Tripoli," Technology in Society, Elsevier, vol. 79(C).
    9. Benoît Lécureux & Adrien Bonnet & Ouassim Manout & Jaâfar Berrada & Louafi Bouzouina, 2022. "Acceptance of Shared Autonomous Vehicles: A Literature Review of stated choice experiments," Working Papers hal-03814947, HAL.
    10. Jacqueline Ruth & Steffen Willwacher & Oliver Korn, 2022. "Acceptance of Digital Sports: A Study Showing the Rising Acceptance of Digital Health Activities Due to the SARS-CoV-19 Pandemic," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 19(1), pages 1-16, January.
    11. Jariyasunant, Jerald & Carrel, Andre & Ekambaram, Venkatesan & Gaker, David & Sengupta, Raja & Walker, Joan L., 2012. "The Quantified Traveler: Changing transport behavior with personalized travel data feedback," University of California Transportation Center, Working Papers qt3047k0dw, University of California Transportation Center.
    12. Brown, Philip & Roper, Simon, 2017. "Innovation and networks in New Zealand farming," Australian Journal of Agricultural and Resource Economics, Australian Agricultural and Resource Economics Society, vol. 61(3), July.
    13. Teodora Roman, 2009. "Study regarding entrepreneurial intentions among students," THE YEARBOOK OF THE "GH. ZANE" INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC RESEARCHES, Gheorghe Zane Institute for Economic and Social Research ( from THE ROMANIAN ACADEMY, JASSY BRANCH), vol. 18, pages 87-94.
    14. Messele Kumilachew Aga, 2023. "The mediating role of perceived behavioral control in the relationship between entrepreneurship education and entrepreneurial intentions of university students in Ethiopia," Journal of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Springer, vol. 12(1), pages 1-18, December.
    15. Kristin Thomas & Evalill Nilsson & Karin Festin & Pontus Henriksson & Mats Lowén & Marie Löf & Margareta Kristenson, 2020. "Associations of Psychosocial Factors with Multiple Health Behaviors: A Population-Based Study of Middle-Aged Men and Women," IJERPH, MDPI, vol. 17(4), pages 1-17, February.
    16. Andreas Falke & Nadine Schröder & Claudia Hofmann, 2022. "The influence of values in sustainable consumption among millennials," Journal of Business Economics, Springer, vol. 92(6), pages 899-928, August.
    17. Kamruzzaman, Md. & Baker, Douglas & Washington, Simon & Turrell, Gavin, 2013. "Residential dissonance and mode choice," Journal of Transport Geography, Elsevier, vol. 33(C), pages 12-28.
    18. Ficko, Andrej & Boncina, Andrej, 2013. "Probabilistic typology of management decision making in private forest properties," Forest Policy and Economics, Elsevier, vol. 27(C), pages 34-43.
    19. Muhammad Shahid Qureshi & Saadat Saeed & Syed Waleed Mehmood Wasti, 2016. "The impact of various entrepreneurial interventions during the business plan competition on the entrepreneur identity aspirations of participants," Journal of Global Entrepreneurship Research, Springer;UNESCO Chair in Entrepreneurship, vol. 6(1), pages 1-18, December.
    20. Julie Bayle-Cordier & Loïc Berger & Rayan Elatmani & Massimo Tavoni, 2023. "Breath, Love, Walk? The Impact of Mindfulness Interventions on Climate Policy Support and Environmental Attitudes," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 15(13), pages 1-29, July.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:22:y:2025:i:2:p:307-:d:1594106. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.