The use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) among the young adult population has been growing in recent years. The main driver for experimentation with these products appears to be flavoring and lack of knowledge of the risks associated with e-cigarette use. In addition, perceptions of peer use of e-cigarettes is often overestimated. A recent survey showed that college students estimated that 85% of their peers used e-cigarettes in the past 30 days while self-reported use of e-cigarettes was only 14%. Therefore, social norms interventions may offer a promising approach to correct misconceptions and reduce harmful behaviors. This study examines students’ perceptions of prevention methods using a variety of approaches designed to prevent e-cigarette use among college students.
The study’s sample consisted of 536 college students from a large public university in the Midwest. Five messages were created utilizing different appeals: humor (M1), academic performance (M2), fear (M3), respiratory health/clinical (M4), and social norms (M5). Participants were asked report personal use of e-cigarettes, current beliefs about e-cigarettes, and social influences on use of e-cigarettes. Students were then asked to rate the messages on quality, originality, believability, and relevance to college students. They then ranked the messages in order of preference and provided feedback on the effectiveness of each message. Data was analyzed using linear regression models.
Results of the data analysis showed the respiratory health/clinical message (M4) received the highest endorsement (B+ for abstainers and B for e-cigarette users). The social norms message (M5) received the lowest endorsement. All messages were rated higher by abstainers than e-cigarette users. Among users, males had lower message endorsement than females. Three themes emerged from feedback provided on the messages: believability/ credibility, condescending, and creativity. Both e-cigarette users and abstainers wanted scientific data to be included directly in the message to aid in believability. Some participants felt the humor message had a condescending tone which might cause some to disregard the message entirely. Lastly, students felt all five messages lacked creativity regarding imagery and/or text.
Takeaway: College students prefer creative and visually appealing e-cigarette use prevention messages with a clinical focus and credible sources.