Summary
Introduction:
This text is a summary of a study examining the relationship between body esteem, weight-control outcome expectancies, and e-cigarette use among young adults. The study aims to inform efforts to control e-cigarette misuse or promote smoking cessation among smokers who smoke to control weight or fear quitting because of fear of gaining weight.
Key Points:
* The study used data from three waves of data collection, each separated by 6 months, from 2327 young adults (mean age = 21.2; SD = 2.2; 54% women).
* Body esteem was assessed using the Body Esteem Scale (BES), and e-cigarette weight-control outcome expectancies were measured using a self-report inventory.
* The study found that among women, lower body esteem was associated with higher weight-control outcome expectancies, which in turn predicted higher likelihood of current e-cigarette use a year later.
* among men, body esteem was not found to have significant effects on weight-control expectancies or e-cigarette use.
* The study also found that women are more likely to endorse weight control as a motive for e-cigarette use than men.
* Low body esteem may also be a risk factor for e-cigarette use.
* Most research on the relationship between weight-control expectancies and e-cigarette use is cross-sectional, and this study aimed to address this gap by testing a longitudinal mediation hypothesis.
Main Message:
The main message of this study is that young adult women who have higher negative body esteem are at increased risk for using e-cigarettes for weight-control motives. This highlights the need for health promotion strategies that provide healthier alternatives to young women struggling with low body esteem who use e-cigarettes for weight loss or control. It is important to understand the relationship between body esteem, weight-control expectancies, and e-cigarette use to inform efforts to prevent e-cigarette misuse and promote smoking cessation.
Citation
Pokhrel P, Bennett BL, Boushey CJ. Body esteem, weight-control outcome expectancies, and e-cigarette use among young adults. Nicotine & tobacco research : official journal of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. 2021;23(3):454-461. doi:10.1093/ntr/ntaa009
