Expectancies and reasons for use of e-cigarettes among young adults: A longitudinal analysis.

Introduction:
This text summarizes a longitudinal study on the expectancies and reasons for e-cigarette use among young adults. The study aimed to identify and evaluate changes in expectancies and reasons for e-cigarette use over time and to determine whether such changes were associated with changes in e-cigarette use. The study collected data from a sample of 137 young adult e-cigarette users who completed electronic surveys five times over a 12-month period.

Key Points:

* The study identified five expectancy/reason factors for e-cigarette use: affect-related reasons, social reasons, positive social expectancies, positive internal expectancies, and negative expectancies.
* Negative expectancies for e-cigarette use significantly increased over time, while affect-related reasons for e-cigarette use significantly decreased over time.
* Both frequency and quantity of e-cigarette use decreased over time.
* Changes in positive internal expectancies were positively associated with changes in frequency of e-cigarette use.
* Changes in positive social expectancies were positively associated with changes in both frequency and quantity of e-cigarette use.
* The study suggests that young adults' expectancies and reasons for using e-cigarettes fluctuate over time and changes in expectancies seem to be longitudinally associated with changes in e-cigarette use.
* Positive expectancies for e-cigarette use represent targets for clinical, prevention, and intervention efforts.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of examining young adults' expectancies and reasons for using e-cigarettes as they fluctuate over time. The findings suggest that positive expectancies for e-cigarette use represent targets for clinical, prevention, and intervention efforts. The study also emphasizes the need for continued surveillance of e-cigarette expectancies, given the volatile e-cigarette landscape, and the importance of strict regulations on e-cigarette advertisements to prevent social influences on e-cigarette use among younger populations. Overall, the study provides valuable insights into the factors that influence e-cigarette use among young adults, which can inform regulatory and public health initiatives.

Correa JB, Tully LK, Doran N. Expectancies and reasons for use of e-cigarettes among young adults: A longitudinal analysis. Psychology of addictive behaviors : journal of the Society of Psychologists in Addictive Behaviors. 2019;33(8):730-736. doi:10.1037/adb0000514