E-cigarette use and nicotine dependence among college students have significantly increased, posing serious public health concerns. Although prior studies have identified risk factors such as stress reduction motives, exposure to tobacco marketing, and emotional dysregulation, there is limited research employing theory-informed models to understand the psychological precursors of e-cigarette use. The current study applies Self-Determination Theory (SDT) to explore the role of psychological need frustration—autonomy, competence, and relatedness—in influencing e-cigarette behaviors.
The study utilized a cross-sectional design with 1,001 college students from six universities across the U.S. who reported using e-cigarettes in the past 30 days. Participants completed self-report measures assessing psychological need frustration using the Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction and Frustration Scale (BPNSFS), ruminative thinking using the Ruminative Thought Style Questionnaire (RTSQ), and e-cigarette use frequency and dependence using validated tools. Data analysis involved a fully saturated path model to examine direct and indirect relationships among psychological need frustration, ruminative thinking, and e-cigarette outcomes.
The study findings revealed that psychological need frustration (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) was significantly and positively associated with all facets of ruminative thinking and e-cigarette dependence. Among the facets of ruminative thinking, problem-focused thoughts were identified as the primary mediator, linking higher levels of autonomy, competence, and relatedness frustration to increased e-cigarette use frequency and greater dependence. Notably, autonomy frustration demonstrated a unique direct effect on e-cigarette dependence (β = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.05, 0.23), independent of other predictors, mediators, and covariates (e.g., age, gender, and combustible cigarette use). This finding underscores the distinct role of autonomy frustration in directly influencing e-cigarette dependence beyond its indirect pathways through rumination. These results highlight the importance of addressing psychological need frustration and maladaptive cognitive patterns, particularly problem-focused rumination, in interventions aimed at reducing e-cigarette use and dependence among college students.
Takeaway: Addressing psychological need frustration and problem-focused rumination is critical for reducing e-cigarette use and dependence among college students.