Summary
Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of the relationship between adolescent e-cigarette harm perception and five types of e-cigarette advertising exposures: social media, radio, billboard, newspaper, and television. The study also examines the impact of adjusting for exposure to anti-tobacco messaging and environmental factors on this association.
Key Points:
* The study used data from Wave 4.5 of the Population assessment of Tobacco and health Study (PaTh).
* Factor analysis was applied to three individual PaTh harm perception items to develop a composite harm perception score.
* Unadjusted past 30-day exposure to newspaper, radio, billboard, and social media advertising all correlated with a reduced harm perception.
* after adjusting for environmental support factors, exposure to warning labels, and anti-tobacco advertisements, the analysis yielded statistically significant associations between increased e-cigarette harm perception and exposure to radio, billboard, and television advertisements.
* adjusting for covariates also reduced the association of marketing and harm perception for all forms of media.
Main Message:
The findings suggest that e-cigarette advertising influences adolescent perceptions of harm in e-cigarette use, particularly for social media and newspaper advertisements. however, the association weakens when adjusted for covariates such as environmental support and exposure to anti-tobacco marketing. The study provides evidence for policy makers to continue anti-tobacco marketing and incorporate environmentally supportive strategies to reduce e-cigarette use among adolescents.
Citation
hung M, Spencer a, Goh C, et al. The association of adolescent e-cigarette harm perception to advertising exposure and marketing type. archives of public health = archives belges de sante publique. 2022;80(1):114. doi:10.1186/s13690-022-00867-6
