Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 1845 N. Soto St., Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Institute for Addiction Sciences, University of Southern California, 1845 N. Soto St., Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA.
Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, University of Southern California Keck School of Medicine, 1845 N. Soto St., Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Institute for Addiction Sciences, University of Southern California, 1845 N. Soto St., Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA; Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Southern California, 1441 Eastlake Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90033, USA.
Addict Behav. 2024 Feb;149:107888. doi: 10.1016/j.addbeh.2023.107888. Epub 2023 Oct 11.
Exposure to social media content promoting e-cigarette use ("vaping") is associated with subsequent tobacco use among young adults. Adding features to pro-vaping Instagram influencer posts, such as a nicotine warning label and vaping cessation resources, could help counteract posts' negative influence.
Young adults (N = 2,179; M = 22.6 [SD = 0.4]; 53.0 % cisgender women, 45.1 % Hispanic) completed an online experiment in 2021-2022 through an ongoing prospective cohort study. Participants viewed three simulated pro-vaping Instagram influencer posts in a four-group, between-subjects design. Post features differed by experimental condition: "label-only" (nicotine warning label on post), "link-only" (link to vaping cessation resources under post), "L&L" (label and link), or "control" (neither). Participants rated each influencer's traits (honest, trustworthy, informed, smart, attractive, popular; 0-100 %). After viewing all three posts, participants reported use intentions, susceptibility, positive and negative expectancies, and harm perceptions around the fictitious advertised vaping product. Past-month vapers additionally reported their desire and self-efficacy for quitting.
L&L (versus control and link-only) participants viewed influencers as more honest, trustworthy, and informed. L&L (versus control) participants had lower odds of susceptibility to using the advertised product, lower positive expectancies, and greater negative expectancies. The label and link did not significantly affect participants' intentions to use the product, perceived harm of the product, or desire or self-efficacy for quitting vaping.
Providing a nicotine warning label and link to vaping cessation resources on influencers' Instagram posts may have the unintended effect of increasing positive perceptions of the influencer. However, they may reduce susceptibility to product use.
接触宣传电子烟使用（“ vaping ”）的社交媒体内容与年轻人随后的烟草使用有关。为支持电子烟的宣传者在 Instagram 上发布的内容添加功能，例如尼古丁警告标签和电子烟戒烟资源，可以帮助抵消这些帖子的负面影响。
2021 年至 2022 年，通过一项正在进行的前瞻性队列研究，2179 名年轻成年人（M=22.6[SD=0.4]；53.0%为跨性别女性，45.1%为西班牙裔）在线完成了一项实验。参与者在一项四组被试间设计中查看了三个模拟的支持电子烟使用的 Instagram 宣传者发布的内容。根据实验条件，帖子的特点有所不同：“仅标签”（帖子上有尼古丁警告标签）、“仅链接”（帖子下方有电子烟戒烟资源链接）、“标签和链接”（L&L）或“对照”（两者都没有）。参与者对每个宣传者的特征（诚实、值得信赖、知情、聪明、有吸引力、受欢迎；0-100%）进行评分。在查看完所有三个帖子后，参与者报告了他们对虚构宣传电子烟产品的使用意图、易感性、正面和负面预期以及危害感知。过去一个月吸电子烟的人还报告了他们戒烟的愿望和自我效能感。
与对照组和仅链接组相比，L&L 参与者认为宣传者更诚实、值得信赖和知情。与对照组相比，L&L 参与者使用宣传产品的易感性降低，正面预期降低，负面预期增加。标签和链接并没有显著影响参与者使用产品的意图、对产品危害的感知，也没有影响他们戒烟的愿望或自我效能感。
在宣传者的 Instagram 帖子上提供尼古丁警告标签和电子烟戒烟资源的链接可能会产生增加对宣传者的正面看法的意外效果。然而，它们可能会降低对产品使用的易感性。
