Peers, Perceptions, and E-Cigarettes: A Social Learning Approach to Explaining E-Cigarette Use Among Youth

Abstract

This study uses social learning theory to examine whether differential associations with e-cigarette-using peers is related to personal e-cigarette use among youth, and the extent to which this relationship is explained by personal risk perceptions of e-cigarettes. Moreover, this study tests whether the mediation process is moderated by type of e-cigarette user. This study uses a sample of high school seniors from the 2016 Monitoring the Future Study ( N = 2,100), and a subsample of e-cigarette users ( n = 523). Analyses are carried out using OLS and logistic regression. Findings demonstrate that higher levels of peer e-cigarette use are related to higher odds of personal e-cigarette use, but that risk perceptions of e-cigarettes only explain a modest portion of that relationship (about 10%). Furthermore, the mediation process does not appear to vary by type of e-cigarette user. Future directions and policy implications are discussed.

Friends and family matter Most: a trend analysis of increasing e-cigarette use among Irish teenagers and socio-demographic, personal, peer and familial associations

“…As our findings provide further support for the many studies that have found that peer smoking influences teenage e-cigarette use [ 20 , 47 – 50 ], we suggest that health education interventions that take account of peer influences remain important, particularly as higher levels of peer e-cigarette use [ 51 , 52 ] and favourable e-cigarette peer norms [ 53 ] have been found by other researchers to be related to higher odds of personal e-cigarette use.…”

School staff perceptions of the nature and consequences of students’ use of e‐cigarettes

“…2,3 While there remains a degree of controversy within public health about the extent to which e-cigarettes should be made available to the public to assist smoking cessation efforts, 4 there is general agreement that under-age use of the devices is to be avoided because of the associated adverse health consequences and the potential for children and youth to become addicted to nicotine. 5,6 Schools are recognised as important venues for vaping prevention interventions because of: (i) the critical role of peer influence in affecting e-cigarette uptake, 7 (ii) the extent to which children and youth have been found to be exposed to students vaping on school premises, 8,9 (iii) the demonstrated association between noticing peers vaping at school and becoming a user 10,11 and (iv) school use being an indicator of greater overall vaping frequency among students. 12 Schools also constitute settings in which children are exposed to education about the harms associated with e-cigarette use and policies that aim to minimise exposure and reinforce messages about the importance of avoiding these products.…”

Understanding the Role of Vaping in Criminal Behavior Among Adolescents

“…Namely, a variety of factors associated with prominent criminological theories are related to e-cigarette use-although researchers, being from a variety of disciplines, have not always described these correlates in terms of indicators of criminological theories. For example, consistent with social learning theory (Akers, 1977;Burgess & Akers, 1966), several studies have found that peer attitudes, risk perceptions, and peer use of e-cigarettes are predictors of personal e-cigarette use (Barrington-Trimis et al, 2015;Hanewinkel & Isensee, 2015;Perikleous et al, 2018;Rocheleau et al, 2020;Vogel et al, 2018;Wallace & Roche, 2018). In addition, prior research on correlates of e-cigarette use has also been consistent with the general theory of crime (Gottfredson & Hirschi, 1990;Hirschi, 2004), findings show that individuals who are more impulsive, engage in risky behaviors, have weaker executive function ability, receive poorer grades in school, have lower levels of perseverance, who are more rebellious, and have more social cognitive issues are all more likely to use e-cigarettes (Grant et al, 2019;Hanewinkel & Isensee, 2015;Lanza & Teeter, 2018;Pentz et al, 2015;Saddleson et al, 2015;Spindle et al, 2017;Wills et al, 2015Wills et al, , 2017.…”

“…Namely, the same set of factors that cause vaping is likely to cause violent or property crime. Indeed, prior literature has found that many of the same correlates of violence and property crime are related to vaping such as peer attitudes/behaviors (Barrington-Trimis et al, 2015;Hanewinkel & Isensee, 2015;Perikleous et al, 2018;Rocheleau et al, 2020;Vogel et al, 2018;Wallace & Roche, 2018) and self-control (Grant et al, 2019;Hanewinkel & Isensee, 2015;Lanza & Teeter, 2018;Pentz et al, 2015;Saddleson et al, 2015;Spindle et al, 2017;Wills et al, 2015Wills et al, , 2017. Thus, studies that are not able to extensively account for a host of potential confounding factors run the risk of giving the appearance of a relationship when none may, in fact, exist.…”