Piombo Sarah E, de la Haye Kayla, Valente Thomas W
Department of Population and Public Health Sciences, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Center for Economic and Social Research, Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA.
Nicotine Tob Res. 2025 Aug 22;27(9):1583-1590. doi: 10.1093/ntr/ntaf065.
The objective of this study was to examine the mechanisms of social influence driving e-cigarette use in adolescent social networks and differentiate between the effects of exposure to friend behavior and social norms on individual use.
Surveys on health behaviors and friendship networks from nine high schools in Southern California (N = 2245; 48% Hispanic) were collected at three time points from Spring 2021 of grade 9, Fall 2021, and Spring 2022 of grade 10. Stochastic actor-oriented models for the co-evolution of social networks and behavior dynamics tested for friendship network social influences on e-cigarette use. Two mechanisms of social influence were estimated, exposure to friend behavior (e-cigarette use among friends) and pro-e-cigarette social norms (perceived peer approval and use of e-cigarettes), while controlling for social selection, individual covariates, and endogenous network effects. Results from the nine schools were combined in a meta-analysis.
Findings revealed social influence effects through exposure to friend e-cigarette use and pro-e-cigarette social norms, which both had significant positive influences on individual e-cigarette initiation over time. Furthermore, Hispanic/Latine individuals and females were more likely to initiate e-cigarette use compared to males and non-Hispanic/Latine students.
The importance of these effects should be considered in tobacco prevention initiatives. Designing culturally tailored interventions that target youth social networks and e-cigarette social norms could be effective at curtailing adolescent use. Changing perceptions and social acceptability of e-cigarettes could be one way to slow or prevent the spread of e-cigarette use in adolescent networks.
These findings demonstrate the role of social influence on adolescent e-cigarette use through two mechanisms, both friend behavior and social norms. A shift in prevention strategies toward addressing social dynamics and social norms rather than focusing solely on individual-level factors may be effective in curtailing use. Changing social perceptions and reducing the social acceptability of e-cigarette use may help slow the spread in adolescent networks.
本研究的目的是探讨在青少年社交网络中推动电子烟使用的社会影响机制，并区分接触朋友行为和社会规范对个人使用的影响。
对南加州九所高中的健康行为和友谊网络进行调查（N = 2245；48%为西班牙裔），在三个时间点收集数据，分别是2021年春季九年级、2021年秋季以及2022年春季十年级。采用社会网络与行为动态共同演化的随机行为者导向模型，测试友谊网络对电子烟使用的社会影响。估计了两种社会影响机制，即接触朋友行为（朋友中使用电子烟的情况）和支持电子烟的社会规范（同伴对电子烟使用的认可和使用情况），同时控制社会选择、个体协变量和内生网络效应。对九所学校的结果进行了荟萃分析。
研究结果显示，通过接触朋友使用电子烟和支持电子烟的社会规范产生了社会影响效应，随着时间的推移，这两者对个人开始使用电子烟都有显著的正向影响。此外，与男性和非西班牙裔/拉丁裔学生相比，西班牙裔/拉丁裔个体和女性更有可能开始使用电子烟。
在烟草预防举措中应考虑这些影响的重要性。设计针对青少年社交网络和电子烟社会规范的文化适应性干预措施，可能有效地减少青少年使用。改变对电子烟的认知和社会接受度可能是减缓或防止电子烟在青少年网络中传播的一种方式。
这些发现证明了社会影响通过朋友行为和社会规范这两种机制对青少年电子烟使用的作用。将预防策略转向解决社会动态和社会规范，而不是仅仅关注个体层面的因素，可能有效地减少使用。改变社会认知并降低对电子烟使用的社会接受度，可能有助于减缓其在青少年网络中的传播。
