Wang Tong-Chen Lucas, Zhang Mei-Juan, Zhang Hualin
School of Media and Communication, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Institute of Global Communication, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, China.
Front Public Health. 2025 Apr 9;13:1524524. doi: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1524524. eCollection 2025.
Research has established that exposure to media and the perceived enforcement of policies can influence outcomes related to (un)healthy behaviors. However, little is known about the underlying processes that may mediate the relationship. The Knowledge-Attitude-Practice (KAP) model serves as an important framework for examining health cognition and behavior change. It asserts that knowledge underpins beliefs, attitudes drive motivation, and practices reflect behaviors. In the realm of e-cigarette cessation, this study investigates the influence of media exposure on perceptions of policy enforcement, which in turn affects risk-benefit evaluations and behavioral outcomes.
Data for this study were collected in 2024 from an online questionnaire survey ( = 724) conducted in Guangdong China, with participants aged 18 to 30. We primarily employ methods such as mediating effect testing and regression analysis to conduct our data analysis.
The findings suggest that social media exposure, perceived policy enforcement, and perceptions of risks and benefits collectively influence youth vaping behaviors through various mediating pathways. Specifically, the results indicate that exposure to social media has a positive effect on the perceived enforcement of tobacco control policy. This perception, in turn, positively affects both risk and benefit perceptions, thereby either decreasing the likelihood of vaping through heightened perceived risks or increasing it through enhanced perceived benefits.
The study highlights the impact of social media content concerning e-cigarettes, noting that both ambiguous advertising and health education materials can enhance the perceived enforcement of tobacco control policy. Furthermore, we investigate the impact of information shared across various social media platforms on vaping behaviors and perceptions of tobacco control policy enforcement. Implications and limitations are discussed.
研究表明，接触媒体以及对政策执行的认知会影响与（不）健康行为相关的结果。然而，对于可能介导这种关系的潜在过程却知之甚少。知识-态度-行为（KAP）模型是检验健康认知和行为改变的重要框架。该模型认为，知识是信念的基础，态度驱动动机，行为反映实践。在电子烟戒烟领域，本研究调查了媒体曝光对政策执行认知的影响，而这反过来又会影响风险-收益评估和行为结果。
本研究的数据于2024年通过在中国广东进行的一项在线问卷调查（n = 724）收集，参与者年龄在18至30岁之间。我们主要采用中介效应检验和回归分析等方法进行数据分析。
研究结果表明，社交媒体曝光、对政策执行的认知以及对风险和收益的认知通过各种中介途径共同影响青少年的电子烟使用行为。具体而言，结果表明接触社交媒体对烟草控制政策执行的认知有积极影响。这种认知反过来又对风险和收益认知产生积极影响，从而要么通过提高感知风险降低电子烟使用的可能性，要么通过增强感知收益增加这种可能性。
该研究强调了关于电子烟的社交媒体内容的影响，指出模糊的广告和健康教育材料都可以增强对烟草控制政策执行的认知。此外，我们研究了在各种社交媒体平台上分享的信息对电子烟使用行为和烟草控制政策执行认知的影响。对研究的意义和局限性进行了讨论。
