| Autor: |
Fairman RT; Robert T. Fairman, Second Century Initiative Fellow, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States., Weaver SR; Scott R. Weaver, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States., Akani BC; Bangaman C. Akani, Graduate Research Assistant, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States. Also Assistant Lecturer, Department of Public Health, Felix Houphouet Boigny University, Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire., Dixon K; Kristin Dixon, Health Promotion Director, Fulton County Board of Health, Atlanta, GA, United States., Popova L; Lucy Popova, Associate Professor, School of Public Health, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, United States;, Email: lpopova1@gsu.edu. |
| Abstrakt: |
Objectives: Outcome expectancies are central to explaining health behavior and have been shown to predict tobacco use. Research on outcome expectancies for e-cigarette use among youth is scarce but increasingly important given the growing rates of use, particularly of high-nicotine pod devices and the recent outbreak of e-cigarette related lung disease. Methods: In 2019, we conducted 3 focus groups with middle school youth (N=25), 5 with high school youth (N=38), and 4 with parents (N=27). Youth and parents were not related and groups included both users and non-users. Participants discussed reasons for e-cigarette use and bad and good things that might happen to a person who vapes. Results: Participants described positive and negative psychoactive/sensory, social, and health-related outcome expectancies. Both youth and parents mentioned stress relief and appearing older as positive outcome expectancies, and e-cigarette flavors, acting rebellious, and structural opportunities as other reasons for initiating e-cigarette use. Social consequences and health outcomes were negative outcome expectancies deterring use. Conclusions: Regulations and public communication campaigns can counteract the positive outcome expectancies (flavor regulation, providing stress reduction tips) and capitalize on negative ones (communicating negative health outcomes) to decrease youth e-cigarette use. |
