E-cigarette weight and appetite control beliefs and e-cigarette initiation in young adults.

Introduction:
This text provides an analysis of a study examining the relationship between e-cigarette weight and appetite control beliefs and e-cigarette initiation among young adults. The study aimed to determine whether e-cigarette naïve young adults who held e-cigarette weight control beliefs were more likely to initiate e-cigarette use at a follow-up wave. The study's findings have important implications for interventions and policies aiming to reduce the public health burden and poor health outcomes from vaping and nicotine dependence.

Key Points:

* The study used data from a cohort of young adults originally recruited in 9th grade in the Southern California area.
* The study measured e-cigarette weight and appetite control beliefs, e-cigarette use, covariates such as BMI, age, race/ethnicity, gender identity, cigarette use, and current enrollment in a degree program.
* The study found that e-cigarette naïve young adults who agreed that e-cigarettes help people lose weight and that vaping certain e-cigarette flavors help satisfy hunger and desire to eat unhealthy foods were more likely to initiate e-cigarette use at the follow-up wave.
* The study controlled for BMI, age, race/ethnicity, gender identity, cigarette use, and current enrollment in a degree program.
* The study had a response rate of 63.2% for the baseline survey and 60.1% for the follow-up survey.
* The study's analytic sample was restricted to those who had never used e-cigarettes at baseline and who had complete data available for both baseline e-cigarette weight loss and appetite suppression beliefs and lifetime e-cigarette use at follow-up.
* The study found that those who held e-cigarette weight and appetite control beliefs were more likely to initiate e-cigarette use 6 months later.

Main Message:
The study highlights the importance of e-cigarette weight and appetite control beliefs as a risk factor for e-cigarette initiation among young adult never-users. The findings suggest that interventions and policies aiming to reduce the public health burden and poor health outcomes from vaping and nicotine dependence should address e-cigarette weight control beliefs. Public health and prevention scientists should aim to identify additional risk factors, trajectories, and consequences related to e-cigarette use for weight/appetite control and develop prevention and treatment programs that address these beliefs and behaviors. Utilizing e-cigarette weight and appetite control belief questions as a screening tool may be one way to identify those at risk and prevent future e-cigarette initiation.

Kechter a, Wong M, Mason TB, et al. E-cigarette weight and appetite control beliefs and e-cigarette initiation in young adults. health Psychology. Published online June 22, 2023. doi:10.1037/hea0001298